


Just My Misfortune

by Shadowwing94



Series: Misfortune Series [1]
Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: AU, F/M, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Misfortune AU, Mystery, Reincarnation, Romance, Saiyaku wa buko o suki sugiru AU, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-01
Updated: 2016-12-04
Packaged: 2018-04-07 04:02:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 47,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4248582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadowwing94/pseuds/Shadowwing94
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Furihata's once ordinary life is turned upside down when one Akashi Seijuurou appears before him on his 17th birthday, claiming the two of them now share the same fate.<br/>The encounter is only the start of that intertwined fate, as the two of them are forced to face 12 misfortunes every month for the next year, a curse that runs deep into their past.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Happy Birthday, Kouki

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back with my first Multi-chaptered story. The main couple is Akafuri, other couples will have minor/major role depending on the chapter.  
> The story is based on "Saiyaku wa boku o suki sugiru" which is a yaoi manga that I love. No prior knowledge of the manga is necessary though.   
> The story will be set in the same universe at the manga, will follow it but only to a certain degree.  
> Hopefully you'll like it ~

 

_“Fate is like a strange, unpopular restaurant filled with odd little waiters who bring you things you never asked for and don't always like.”_

**Chapter One**

Even though it was a chilly November day, the streets were hustling and bustling with people going to and from their workplace, teenagers hanging out at the arcades and shop owners promoting their goods. It was still early into the month, but people were already dressed in heavy clothes even though it was still the middle of autumn.

The cafe, too, was full today despite it being a small one, two blocks away from the station. People sat down at the tables or the stalls near the counter and ordered hot steamy drinks in an attempt to warm their freezing bodies, even if just for a bit.

To Furihata, it was supposed to be an ordinary, busy day at work. He was a waiter and so his job was to attend to the tables, take orders and help clean up at the end of the day. It was a tiring job indeed, but he loved it nonetheless. The owners were nice and so were his co-workers and the pay was more than fine.

If there was something he'd complain about though, it would be the occasional run into somewhat _annoying_ customers; and to his luck he seemed to be stuck with one nearing the end of his shift.

"The coffee is too strong and there doesn't seem to be enough milk or sugar. Are you sure you've been listening?" The red-haired customer spoke as he placed his cup on the table with a clink.

This was already the third time he'd re-made his coffee and it was starting to feel _intentional_. It was either too sweet, or too bland and now it seemed to be too strong. Furihata sighed and placed the cup back on his tray and turned to face the young man sitting at the table by the window.

Oh, how he wanted to tell him to drink his DAMN COFFEE the way it was and not make him re-do it so many times!! But Furihata was never good at speaking up for himself or at dealing with those kind of people. The person in question looked like a young master or something, if the sleek black car parked in front of the shop and the smug tone he was using were anything to go by. He had an intimidating air around him, making it ever harder to approach.  
  
"I-I'm very sorry. I'll redo it right away!" Furihata said with a bow, doing his best not to make contact with those intense eyes and moved quickly into the kitchen. 

When he was in the kitchen though, he let out a frustrated groan and slammed the cup into the sink.

"Don't take your anger out on things!" He heard a feminine voice say before he was hit at the back of his head by a paper fan. He clutched his sore head and turned to face the owner of the shop.

"But Riko-san! That's too much! I-"  
  
"Even though, breaking more cups won't solve the problem." Riko said folding her arms in front of chest. "I know he's being demanding, but it's our job to provide the perfect service to our customers, isn't that right, Furihata-kun?" Furihata nodded.  
  
"I'm sorry. I'll tend to it right now!" He said as he made his way back to the coffee machine.

"But, really that kid is getting on my nerves. If he's that rich and spoiled, why not go to one of those fancy restaurants and spend his daddy's money on fancy food?!" Said Hyuuga, the co-owner of the place alongside Riko.

"I don't need you going into clutch time, right now!" Riko slapped his back so hard he yelped in pain.

...

It was supposed to be a simple order of coffee latte. He could understand having certain preferences when it comes to food and drinks and he was fine by that. But other customers would state those preferences, not wait for you to make a mistake and complain about it!

He sighed as he poured the coffee into the cup and added, what he hopped would be, the right amount of milk and sugar. But before he placed he cup on the tray, his eyes caught the cinnamon jar sitting on the close-by shelve.

Well, he had always liked the extra flavor the cinnamon adds to the coffee and that young man seemed like he would complain anyway, so it shouldn't hurt right? He could always drink the coffee himself that way. He made up his mind and sprinkled a little bit of the brown powder on the top of the espresso foam. He held the tray and made his way to the tables.

Furihata wanted to curse that breath he held when he caught sight of the red head staring absentmindedly out the window. True to Hyuuga's words, he really did look out of place. Even though he was wearing casual clothes, as casual as a rich kid can get, he gave off an aura of elegance. He couldn't deny that he was handsome as well, with his pale skin and short red hair and gleaming dichromatic eyes... He noticed Those eyes were staring at him.

He averted his eyes and quickly placed the cup on the table, his head still hung low as a light blush adorned his face. He was caught _staring_...

A smirk crossed the red haired teen's features as he left the cup to his lips taking a small sip of the beverage.

But soon that smirk was replaced by a lightly bewildered expression.

Furihata watched with amazement as the customer's eyes widened for just a second before returning to his composed self. This time he didn't protest or say anything, just silently continued to drink his coffee, his gaze though was a bit softer.

Furihata couldn't help but feel somewhat proud he caught the red head off guard. A satisfied grin plastered on his face. "I suppose the coffee was fine this time?" he asked never bothering to mask the teasing tone in his voice. 

"I suppose it is. It should have been the first time, though." The young man said, taking another sip, still using that prideful tone.

But Furihata's grin never wavered as he left the table to answer the call of another customer. He pretty much continued his shift in high spirits vaguely aware of the mismatched orbs staring at him intently as he attended to the other customers.

......

The clean-up took up a lot of time, but considering the number of people visiting the cafe today, it wasn't something unusual. The cafe switched into a bar after midnight, so everyone was rushing to get everything ready into place in time. 

Hyuuga was sweeping the floor, while Riko and another one of his co-workers, Kiyoshi were checking the inventory. Furihata was currently in the kitchen, returning the freshly washed plates to their place inside one of the cabinets and Himuro, who was in charge of cooking, was organizing the cooking utilities.

_Bzzt Bzzt_

Furihata continued doing his job while humming a soft tune. 

_Bzzt Bzzt_

"Ano..."

_Bzzt Bzzt_

"Furihata-kun, I think it's your phone..."

"Eh?" Furihata glanced at Himuro who had a sheepish smile on his face while pointing to a cell phone put on a nearby counter. "Ah! S-sorry!" 

"No, it's fine. But it did ring a few times when you were still cleaning outside," At this remark, Furihata's face paled. 

He picked up his phone and his fear was proven right. Nearly 30 miscalls and numerous texts all asking about whereabouts. He caught a glimpse of the time, it was nearly midnight! He wasn't paying attention to the time and tomorrow was a school day. His brother was surely furious. He sighed and decided to accept his faith as he pressed the call button and lifted the phone, shakily, to his ear. It didn't even need to ring twice before the line was picked up.

"H-How are doing, Y-Yukio-nii?" He nervously greeted. 

The man on the other side, though, did not sound amused. "KOUKI YOU IDIOT! WHERE EXACTLY ARE YOU?" Furihata had to move the phone away from his ear.

"I didn't pay attention to the time. I'll leave right now!" 

"No, there are no more trains right now. Just wait at the cafe, I'll come pick you up," His tone softened to an extent and heard him exhale a breath. "I was worried. check your damn phone!" And with that, the line went dead. 

Furihata kept staring at his phone, now flashing the duration of the short call. The date changed to November 8th the minute the clock hit midnight. He sighed.   
He had lost his parents on a similar night nearly ten years ago and ever since then he lived with his aunt's family. They were the only ones willing to take care of him after that accident left him alone in this world. His older cousin, Kasamatsu Yukio, took on the role of his older brother. He was stern and firm but kind and caring. Kasamatsu was always worried about him, being the overprotective person he is. 

He took his backpack out of the locker and stepped out of the changing room. He really didn't want to anger or worry the older male any further and so he had to leave now. He said his goodbyes to the owners and they apologized for keeping him for too long, he assured them it was okay and was about to take his leave when a tall male with purple hair stood in front of him, blocking the exit. 

"Ano...Murasakibara-kun-" 

The taller male shoved a rectangular box in his hands and continued munching on his cookies. Furihata blinked at him, surprised, and opened the box to find different, delicious looking cakes who were all his favorites.

"These are from all of us! Even if Murasakibara-kun is the one who baked them," He heard Riko say as she wrapped an arm around his shoulder and grinned at him.

"Eh? For me? But why?" 

"What are you saying silly! It's your birthday right?" 

"Happy birthday, Furihata-kun," Himuro's kind voice sounded as he came out of the kitchen handing Murasakibara his jacket. 

Furihata just stared at them, not sure of what to say. 

"What is it with your face?" Hyuuga asked as he ruffled the brunette's hair. 

"No, i-it's just...I didn't think you'll remember," Furihata said a blush on his face. "Thank you so much," He said, now a soft smile on his face. 

"Apologize to Kasamatsu for us, okay? Enjoy your cakes," Riko said as she waved Furihata goodbye. He muttered a simple "Yes" before exiting the cafe and started walking towards the near-by bus stop. 

......

The streets were eerily quite. Usually, even at this time, people still walked down the street, but today everything just seemed...empty. Only the sound of the wind as it howled through the empty alleys was present. Furihata found himself hurrying in his footsteps.

He sat down at the bench at the bus stop and placed the box full of cakes next to him. The night was cold; he breathed into his hands in an attempt to warm them up a bit. He glanced down the empty street, wishing Yukio wouldn't be so late in picking him up. It's not like he was afraid of the dark, but something about the _quietness_ didn't settle well with him. 

A rustling in the nearby bushes startled him and he let out a shriek of fear. He was, for once, glad no one was around to laugh at him, for what came out of the bushes was a small white cat. He smiled at the small animal and was about to pet her head when the cat jumped backwards, scratching his outstretched hand, her nails digging deep into his skin. Furihata winced and withdrew his hand, which had deep claw marks as blood seeped through the opened wounds. The cat was arching her back, hair standing and was hissing at Furihata while bearing her teeth. 

Rather than pained, Furihata was stunned. He knew stray cats could be hostile to people, but he didn't think he did anything to irk the cat to this extent. The cat hissed at him again then retreated to its hideaway in the bushes. 

A chuckle. 

This time, Furihata visibly flinched and turned his head in the direction the voice. He saw a silhouette walking towards him, but couldn't recognize who it was until he stepped under the post's light.

"Not even a couple of minutes into the day and you're already hurt, Furihata Kouki-kun," The "stranger" said in a tone all too familiar to Furihata's ears.

"You...You're that _rude_ customer from before,"

He would never miss that red hair or that smug tone. Though he had to admit the man looked different, the air around him felt softer and his left eye was now red, not gold. Well, it could always be the lights. He started at the young man, what was he doing here anyway? And how the _hell_ did he know his name?! 

"My name is Akashi Seijuurou. And please do forgive my earlier _rude_ actions. It seems ** _I_**   was in quite a mood for an unknown reason," He said, smiling. 

Furihata felt that the last sentence wasn't directed at him. Somehow the way he stressed on the "I" made it look like he was talking about a different person.

Furihata's hands felt sweaty; now that he assessed the situation, it didn't look good. He was alone, in a seemingly empty place with a young man he didn't know, who just appeared out of nowhere calling him by his full name. Furihata found himself getting up taking a couple of steps backwards, eyes never leaving the red head. 

"Please, don't be alarmed, Furihata-kun. I've only waited to make sure you reach home safely," Akashi said, that smile never leaving his face. Furihata was genuinely scared. This Akashi has just admitted he was waiting for him to end his shift.

"W-Who are you? Are you...a stalker o-or something?" Akashi chuckled once again.

"I assure you I'm not. I was merely observing you today. If I shared the same fate with someone, wouldn't you think it's only fair I get to know them?" His answer didn't help ease Furihata's nerves. Observing?! What did he mean by sharing fate? 

The red head said nothing, but raised his right hand instead. There were fresh looking scratch marks on them. The marks looked close to the ones he had after his encounter with the cat. Furihata, reflexively, glanced at his own hand and his breath was caught in his lungs. He just started at the slightly taller male before him, confused. 

"They're...gone. W-Whats the meaning of this? Whats going on?" He said after finding the voice to speak again. 

"I know it's hard to believe, but whatever injures you sustain would be transferred to me. This is the kind of fate we both share," 

Furihata's hands started trembling. Was this some kind of a trick?

His train of thoughts was cut off by the flashing light of a car. It took him a few moments to realize it was his brother's. The small navy blue car parked near him, a man with dark blue hair and piercing blue eyes came out of the driver's seat. Akashi sighed.

"It seems our time today has ended, we will continue another time. Good night, Furihata-kun" He declared and turned to walk in the same direction he came from.

Furihata's shoulders relaxed somewhat, glad his encounter with this...weird individual has ended. Yet, he couldn't help but stare at his hand and trace the non-existent claw marks on his hand. He gripped his trembling hands and started at Akashi's retreating figure. The red head stopped and turned to look at him, this time, his left eye gleaming _gold_.

"One more thing." He started a smirk painted on his face. "Happy birthday, _Kouki_. I'll see you again tomorrow," and resumed his walking, not even waiting for a reply. Furihata flinched at the use of his first name and at that know-it-all tone Akashi was using.

"Who's that? A friend of yours?" His brother's deep voice asked. Furihata shook his head. 

"I'm don't...really know," 

His brother sighed and put his jacket around Furihata's shoulders. "You're shivering. Come on, let's go home," Kasamatsu noticed Furihata's tensed stance, but chose to say nothing. Any lecture or talk would have to wait until he got him home safely. 

Furihata only nodded his head and grabbed the cake box and sat inside the car. The trip back home was quite, but his mind was a mess.

_"Whatever injures you sustain would be transferred to me. This is the kind of fate we both share,"_ Akashi's words kept circling inside his head as his grip tightened on his right hand. 

Tomorrow...Furihata wasn't sure if he ever wanted it to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My dear Furi is confused ~  
> The action starts next chapter :D  
> The second chapter is currently in the making expect it by the weekend. The story will be under 20 chapters, hopefully :3 I'll update as soon as I can.  
> And I had fun coming up with the misfortunes they'll encounter, my poor babies, but I'm always open for suggestions :D  
> Thank you for reading ^^ Any feedback is appreciated.


	2. I'll always protect you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the Kudos, comments and subscriptions, you guys made my day :D  
> Hope you enjoy the second chapter ~

_“We do not remember days, we remember moments, and the richness of life lies in the memories we have forgotten.”_

**Chapter Two**

_"Sei! What are you doing?" The cheerful voice of a ten year old boy asked, as he _entered the tea room_  dressed in a green yukata._

_Seijuurou put the brush aside and turned to look at the boy who sat himself beside him, eyes gleaming with curiosity. A small smile tugged at his lips._

_He picked the brown tea cup up and placed it in front of the brunette. "I was practicing making tea. Would you like to taste, Kouki?" He nodded almost instantly and lifted the cup to his lips._

_"How was it?"_

_Kouki eyed the cup quizzically, it was certainly delicious, but there was something different about the way it tasted. Seijuurou was getting rather impatient waiting for an answer, he unconsciously narrowed his dichromatic eyes at the puzzled brunette._

_But before he could say anything, Kouki left his index finger in the air, like he had just found an amazing discovery. "Ah, I got it!" He said and turned to look at Seijuurou, who raised his eyebrow at him, not sure of what Kouki meant. "Cinnamon! You put cinnamon in there, didn't you?"_

_Seijuurou looked a bit surprised, but soon returned to his composed self. "Yes I did. I happen to find the taste of cinnamon in hot drinks quite pleasant, don't you think?"_

_"Yes! It tasted really good! Maybe I'll start adding cinnamon to my tea as well," Kouki said, grinning at Seijuurou who let out a fond sigh._

_His smile was almost blinding._

**......**

_"NO! DON'T OPEN IT!" Seijuurou heard a familiar voice shout at him. But it was already too late..._

_The big golden box which was laid in the middle of the room was now opened, the lid thrown somewhere on the floor as a bright light filled the place. Out of shock, Seijuurou fell to the ground, his hand were shaking and eyes widened. He did not mean to...This wasn't supposed to happen..._

_Twelve shadows flew outside the box, circling just above Seijuurou. He could hear their sinister laughs as some of them flew too close to his body. Each time one of the shadows touched him, he would feel a painful burn jolting throughout his body._

_"Stay away from him!"_

_He could hear Kouki's voice but couldn't quite locate him. His vision was blocked by the swirling shadows around his body. It was getting harder and harder to endure the pain as he hugged himself and tried to keep himself out of harm's way._

_He felt scared..._

_But all of a sudden, the sinister laughs turned into wails of agony, and the darkness that once surrounded him began to clear. When he lift his head, he saw Kouki standing before him, the shadow's disappearing within him like his body was some sort of a black hole._

_When all the shadows were gone, Kouki dropped to his knees. His breathing was labored and his arms were shaking under his weight._

_"Kouki!" Seijuurou quickly stood up and ran to Kouki's side, placing both his hands on his shoulders, trying to balance him a little. "Are you okay?!" He asked, hurriedly, voice thick with worry. The boy in his arms nodded as he flashed him a tired smile._

_"I'm sorry...I didn't-" He was stopped by a finger placed on his lips. Kouki shook his head and kept that smile on his face as he got up, he stumbled once but regained his balance and stood up firmly, as if assuring Seijuurou he was fine._

_He extended his hand to Seijuurou, urging him to take it. And he did._

_"Don't worry. I'll always protect you, Sei..."_

Seijuurou woke up abruptly, heart beating fast, lungs deprived of air, hands clenching on the on the material of his blankets. His cheeks were wet, tears were flowing out in streams wetting his pillow.

He sat in his bed, taking large gulps of air in long gasps. 

It was that dream once again...

But it wasn't his, nor were the tears. After all, the one in the dreams had mismatched eyes of red and gold. Those were _his_ dreams...

Seijuurou has always been aware that within his body resided another _him_. He regarded his other self as a younger brother of some sorts. And while they were both strong willed and strived to be the best, his other self was much colder and had less tolerance for disrespect; going as far as claiming he was absolute. 

His younger brother wasn't one to show weakness openly and yet whenever those dreams occur, tears of fear, regret, sadness would freely stream down his face and his heart would ache with such longing. Longing for the person in those dreams, longing for... _Kouki_.  

Even though Seijuurou had questioned his other self about the truth behind those dreams through their shared link of subconscious, he never got a solid reply. Rather the shared dream is always a subject he'd avoid.   
_"You would rather remain oblivious to the truth."_ He would always say _._

Seijuurou was never an overly curious person. But he couldn't help but wonder if those dreams, which seemed like distant memories, were real...and couldn't help but be interested in the person haunting his thoughts.

**......**

Furihata stifled a yawn as he quickened his pace a bit to keep up with his brother. 

The two of them were walking towards the school. It was only a ten minute walk from the station, so they usually took the train instead of Kasamatsu's car. The duo were surrounded by students who would occasionally stop and greet them. Despite being an overall strict teacher, Kasamatsu was loved by many students; he was one of the few teachers they could confine to and he always pushed them to be their best. 

Furihata just smiled politely at each greeting, not finding enough energy in himself to be his cheerful self that day. He couldn't get a wink of sleep last night.   
Each time he did, he couldn't help but recall the events of last night, his encounter with the red haired teen in particular. 

"Senpaaaaaai!" a loud, high pitched voice took him out of his trance. Kasamatsu stopped in his tracks as his shoulders instantly tensed. 

Furihata could hardly hide his snickers as he watched a six foot tall man crash with his brother in what you would call a hug. Kasamatsu groaned before he attempted to push the blonde male away from him, but to no avail. He finally lifted his suitcase and plunged it into the taller man's head. 

"Senpai is so mean!" he whines, rubbing his abused head. 

"Like I care, idiot! Stop being so loud in the morning," Kasamatsu yells and resumes walking in a slightly faster pace. 

"Good morning, Furihatacchi," The blonde greets Furihata as the two walk right beside Kasamatsu. 

"Good morning, Kise-sensei," He greeted back with a smile. There was something about Kise that always managed to give you energy, his cheerfulness was almost contagious.

Kise returned his smile and resumed attacking Kasamatsu with questions about his day while the later answered through tired sighs. Well maybe not _everyone_ would be affected by the brightness of the blonde's mood, he believed his brother was already immune to his personality.   
The two were senpai and kouhai back in high school and attended the same college. It was a pure _coincidence_ that Kise started working at the same school with Kasamatsu, or so he says.

Even though Kise's tacky personality often clashes with his brother's, they have been friends for a long time and often spent their day offs together. 

"Look out!" 

Furihata didn't have the time to register what was happening before he was pulled out of a speedy motorcycle's way, barely in time. He could feel the gush of wind as the motorcycle drove by. Any more, and he would have...he shook his head. He really was out of it this morning. He glanced up to find himself in Kise's arms. The man breathed a sigh of relief as he helped Furihata to his feet. "T-that was close!" 

"Y-yeah," Furihata replied sheepishly not really sure of what to say. "Thank you, sensei," 

"What's wrong with him driving so fast in a busy street?!" Kasamatsu asked to no one in particular, his free hand turning into a fist. If he wouldn't be late for his class, he would have hunt that driver down and forced him to quit driving one way or another. "Are you sure you're okay?" Kasamatsu's tone changed to one of worry as he looked at Furihata. He nodded.

"Just a bit tired I guess. But I'm totally fine!" He assured his brother, who looked unconvinced. 

"You're not allowed to work the late night shift again. You need your sleep!" Kasamatsu said firmly. "And today we're going back together to celebrate. We still have those cakes from the shop, right?" 

Before Furihata could say anything, Kise butted into their conversation. "Eh? There's cake? I want some too!" His eyes were sparkling at the mention of cakes. 

"No one invited you!" 

"But parties are more fun the more people are involved, ne Furihatacchi?" Kise said ignoring Kasamatsu. 

"Oi!"

"Yes! You're welcome to come at any time!" Furihata said smiling at the taller male. Kise let out what could only be described as a squeal as he hugged Furihata causing him to giggle. 

"Let's have fun and celebrate!" The duo marched together to school ignoring the protests of Kasamatsu. 

Furihata had to admit, teasing his brother was fun.

**......**

Furihata settled down in his desk by the window. He greeted Fukuda who was seated next to him and soon enough they were joined by Kawahara, who yawned his way into class.

"Gooood morning,birthday boy~"  Takao's voice sounded as he casually draped a hand around Furihata's shoulders. Furihata turned to look at the black haired boy who was grinning at him. 

"Good morning, Takao-kun," 

"Oh yeah, it's Furi's birthday today! Wanna hang out today?" Kawahara said, finally taking his seat behind Furihata. 

"I'm celebrating with Yukio-nii today, so another time, maybe," Furihata said, apologetically. 

Before they could further discuss the matter, their homeroom teacher entered the class. Almost instantly, the class became quiet and everyone returned to their seat. Furihata too settled in his seat and glanced at the teacher who was readying himself to give an announcement of some sort. For some reason, Furihata felt unsettled. 

"I know it's far off into the semester, but today we have a new student joining us for the remaining of the year," He spoke and motioned for the figure standing outside the room to enter. 

Furihata's heart almost stopped. 

There, in front of him, stood the young man he'd encountered yesterday. The redhead seemed to notice his presence and turned to face him and gave a small smile. Furihata wished he could somehow disappear, be anywhere but the classroom right now. When _he_ had said tomorrow, he actually meant it.

"I'm Akashi Seijuurou." The young man introduced himself with a small bow. "I've been living in Kyoto until recently, but had to move because of...personal reasons," He continued, his eyes settling upon Furihata as he spoke of the last couple of words. 

Furihata's mortified expression only deepened when Akashi moved in his direction and stood beside his seat, his eyes fixated not on him but at Fukuda who was seated next to him. His left eye flashed gold. 

"You wouldn't mind giving up your seat, now would you?" His gaze was so intense that Fukuda trembled at the cold stare. Akashi's tone wasn't inquiring but merely demanding. Soon enough, Fukuda left his seat in a haste and sat at the back of the class behind Kawahara. 

Akashi sat in his new seat then looked to his left and offered his "seat mate" another smile, this time his eyes were back to red. Furihata quickly turned to look away and depated for a second if it was possible to escape from his two-storey window. 

He might have gotten himself a serious stalker. 

**......**

After the whole situation with Akashi's arrival was settled, the atmosphere was back to normal within the class. Akashi didn't make any attempt to speak to him during class or in the five minutes of break they had between classes. But, he knew by the look in Akashi's eyes that he wanted to have a talk with him, probably to continue what they were discussing yesterday. 

Yeah, that weird talk about sharing the same fate. 

The bell signalled the end of the class and the beginning of their lunch break. Furihata never knew he could move this fast, maybe the basketball practice he's done with his brother did come in handy, he was out of class within the minute, Takao following close behind. 

"Are you in that much of a hurry to start committee duties?" Takao asked as the two walked down the hallway leading to the library. 

"Y-yeah! I need to get my mind off of something," It wasn't entirely a lie, he just wanted to leave the room before Akashi had a chance to say anything. 

The two were part of the library committee, or Furihata was and Takao had decided to tag along once the two became friends. Furihata was surprised by that as, aside from shounen manga, Takao wasn't so keen on reading, yet he always went with him whenever the two were on duty. He would return the borrowed books to their places on the shelves, never allowing Furihata to assist, instead he would tell him to enjoy his reading. 

Furihata always felt guilty about leaving Takao to do all the work while he only read books, but Takao long assured him that he isn't bothered in the least. 

Because of that he was allowed a moment of peace in the library...

...or so he thought. 

"I didn't expect you to run so fast, Furihata-kun," Furihata audibly gasped as he saw the redhead standing in front of the library's door. "I have already learned of your routine and activities, you won't be able to escape me so easily," His tone had a hint of amusement. 

"How did you-"

"I find it irritating when I'm ignored so openly. I only wish to talk," Akashi said, annoyance clear in his tone. 

Furihata was still skeptical, but nodded his head at Akashi. It seemed there was no escaping this, the sooner it's done the sooner he'll be able to put this matter behind.  
He turned to look at the confused Takao. "Takao-kun, would you mind going ahead? I'll follow you shortly," Takao looked reculent to leave for a second, before stealing a glance at Akashi who had his eyes narrowed. 

"Fine," He said with a sigh. "Take your time to talk, I'll be waiting inside," and with that he disappeared inside the library, leaving Akashi and Furihata alone in the hallway. 

An awkward silence stretched... 

"I...must apologize," Akashi broke the silence. "I didn't mean to frighten you, yesterday." 

Furihata was startled by Akashi's apology that he remained silent. The shock must have been evident on his face because Akashi just looked at him and sighed. 

"You don't have to look so scared. I won't harm you. It's the opposite in fact, I wish for you to never be harmed again," when Furihata looked confused he continued, "You do remember what I said yesterday, right? Whatever injuries you'd sustain would be transferred to me,"

All of a sudden, Furihata was aware of the bandage on the redhead's right hand. He grabbed his own as he was reminded by what happened yesterday. Akashi's wounds looked so much like his and his completely disappeared. 

But who could believe such a thing was possible? After all, things like this only existed in the books he so often read. 

"I-I don't know how did that happen, but such a thing is impossible! Is this a trick or something? Or is it some kind of a sick joke?" Furihata said, still gripping his right hand tightly. 

Akashi only glared. 

"I don't think anyone would want to be harmed for a trick, and I'm not exactly fond of jokes," The coldness in his tone sent shivers down Furihata's back. He could feel his resolve wavering a little. 

There really was no reason for anyone to hurt themselves for such a thing...but the other possibility didn't make any sense. Why would he and another person he never saw before share the same fate in such a way? 

Before Furihata could begin to ask anything else, he was interrupted by a loud smash. On reflex, Furihata shielded his eyes by his left arm and yelped in pain when some of the glass shards pierced through his uniform. 

"Kouki!" Akashi's worried voice made him open his eyes. Akashi was next to him, seemingly unharmed. "Are you okay?" He asked hurriedly, grabbing him by the shoulders. Furihata was startled by the gesture that all he could do was nod weakly at him. The redhead's shoulders visibly relaxed, his left eye returning to its original red color. 

The glass window to his left was completely shattered. Furihata glanced at the football near his feet which was likely that cause of the whole ordeal. Whoever threw the ball, was in for a serious scolding. 

"We better go get your wounds cleaned, Furihata-kun," Akashi said pointing to the brunette's left arm. The fabric of the uniform covering his arm was now a shade darker as it was soaked with blood. The pain was there but it was dull. 

Furihata nodded and started leading the two to the infirmary, which was conveniently close-by.

**......**

"Ouch!" Furihata winced at the pain, as the sterilized cotton touched his wounds. The man before him didn't seize his actions though until he was sure all the wounds were cleaned. 

Midorima-sensei, which was the school's new nurse, had assured them the wounds were only superficial and didn't need to be stitched at the hospital. Furihata let out a sigh of relief, at least it wasn't something serious. 

"How did this happen?" Midorima's deep voice asked as he finished wrapping the brunette's arm. 

"The hallway window near the library was smashed by a football...I think," Furihata answered. Midorima stood from his seat and made his way to the door. 

"I'll have to inform the dean about this. You two stay here," He said, but before he fully exited the door he turned around to look at them. "I-If you need more bandages, they're in the first drawer," he adjusted his glasses and was gone, closing the door behind him. 

The room fell in silence. Furihata could feel Akashi's burning gaze on him. Akashi's fingers ran down the brunette's bare chest and stopped just above where his heart was. His fingers were cold to the touch which made Furihata squirm a bit, his cheeks turning scarlet. Akashi sighed.

"It's still not over yet, huh?" He said, removing his fingers from Furihata's skin. He blinked in confusion. 

"Why do you mean?" Akashi said nothing but motioned for him to look in the mirror. 

Furihata's eyes widened in shock as he looked at the reflection of his exposed chest. Just above where his heart was supposed to be was, what it seemed like, a tattoo of a six-petaled sakura flower. His fingers ran on the reflection of the flower. He certainly didn't remember getting anything tattooed on his body, if anything Kasamatsu would be furious if he did. 

"I have the same mark," Akashi said abruptly, showing him his left wrist. True to his words, the same flower was on wrist. What was it with those marks? And why did they appear so suddenly? 

"They represent the number of misfortunes we would encounter," Akashi explained, sensing Furihata's inner thoughts. "You have six petals, and I have six. This means we would encounter twelve misfortunes before your next birthday. Since none of our petals disappeared, it means we have still to overcome our first misfortune." 

Before Furihata could say anything, Akashi continued. "Listen to me, Furihata. You are now a magnet for disasters. You noticed right? You've been encountering mishap after mishap since the beginning of the day,"  

Furihata's hand clenched at the material of his loose t-shirt. The cat, the motorcycle this morning and now this. "Y-you mean to tell me these things aren't...coincidental?"

"I'm afraid they're not. This is a curse. One that you and I share," A curse, what did he mean by that? 

Akashi was about to say something when his hand suddenly gripped on his left arm, a groan left his lips through gritted teeth and his eyes were shut tightly. He looked like he was in pain. Furihata's eyes darted to his left arm, Akashi's hand that was gripping the material of his uniform was crimson in color. He came to the belated conclusion that he was bleeding. 

"Akashi-kun!" He stood from his seat and removed Akashi's hand that was gripping a little too tightly on his arm. He didn't protest as Furihata removed his jacket. He gasped when he saw the white shirt's sleeve was dyed in dark red. "What happened? Why didn't you say you got hurt?" 

"I didn't," Akashi simply stated. "Those are yours," his tone was composed. 

"Eh?" Furihata didn't know what else to say. He took notice that the pain in his left arm was no longer there. This couldn't be...could it? "T-this is not the time! We need to get them treated. Where did Midorima-sensei go??" Furihata cursed under his breath when the bottle of sterilizer he was reaching for fell to the ground. He only stared at the bottle, his body trembling. 

Even though such things were only supposed to occur in fantasy books, it happened in real life, right before his eyes and twice in one day. He could no longer brush it off as a prank or an illusion of an eye. He couldn't stop shaking, the weight of the situation finally sinking in his heart. If he got hurt, it was Akashi who would bear the most pain.  
"I'm sorry...I'm sorry," he said with a faint voice.

Akashi looked at the form of the brunette hunched before him. He couldn't blame Furihata for not believing him immediately, he himself couldn't quite accept it as the truth until the incident with the cat. He had been so reculent to the thought of sharing someone's fate in this way, but when the young man before him apologized for hurting him, even though it's something he had no control over, he couldn't help but let a fond smile play at his lips. "Don't apologize, it's not your fault," 

Furihata looked up, startled at the kind tone the redhead spoke with.

"Do you still believe it's a joke?" He heard him ask. Furihata shook his head. "Good. Because from now on, I'll need you to trust me, if we want to survive this curse together," Akashi continued and stretched his right hand for a handshake. Furihata stared at his hand before he took it in his own, nodding his head. 

Akashi's face lit up with a smile as he noticed Furihata was no longer shaking. The brunette just stared at him with widened eyes. This smile was different from the other ones he's seen as it looked more genuine. 

He couldn't help but think of how familiar it was...

**......**

"Midorimacchi!" 

Midorima looked startled for a second before he composed himself after recognizing the voice. He turned to look up at the blonde teacher who was floating in mid air, before landing softly on the roof near the green haired man. 

"Kise," 

"What are you doing here?" Midorima only looked up front and through the small window of his infirmary in the building across from theirs. Kise followed his gaze and noticed the two figures handshaking. "So they already met, huh?" Midorima only nodded.

"You're far from careful, Kise. Refrain from flying in broad daylight, we can't risk anyone seeing you," Midorima said, fixing the blonde with a glare. Kise raised his hands defensively. 

"I got it, don't worry. Nobody saw a thing," Midorima didn't look convinced but let the matter slide. 

"Also, you're getting too involved. Don't do anything reckless like this morning." Kise's eyes turned serious as he remembered the motorcycle from this morning. 

"Like you're one to talk, Midorimacchi! You had Takaocchi keep an eye on him, didn't you?" Midorima adjusted his glasses before turning to stare before him once again. 

"Takao has nothing to do with this. I'm telling you because we are only here as observers, don't get too involved," 

"For now, we are," was Kise's answer as he watched as Furihata started wrapping the bandages around Akashi's arm. "How long do you think they'll last? They didn't even survive the forth misfortune last time," 

"I don't know...I would be fine with anything if it means avoiding _that_ tragedy from happening again..." He said, his voice breaking at the end. 

Kise stretched his arms above his head and sighed. "We'll only have to wait and see, after all it _is_ our job to remain in this world until the end of all misfortunes," 

Midorima nodded, a sigh of his own escaping his lips, as he glanced at the oblivious two. 

Truly, what a dreaded job they possessed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was supposed to be done earlier but I've been sick for a couple of days T_T So sorry for being late  
> Let me know what you guys think  
> If you spot any mistakes plz point them out and I'll go back and fix them  
> Any feedback is appreciated~~


	3. The Misfortune Begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be posted earlier, blame my weak immune system for catching a cold for the second time in a week  
> Thank you for the Kudos/comments/bokmarks, you guys are the best  
> hopefully you'll enjoy this chapter as well ~

_"I met a boy whose eyes showed me that the past, present and future were all the same thing.”_   

**Chapter Three**

To say Takao was horrified at his best friend's state was an underestimate. When the two didn't come to the library, and weren't in the hallway where he had left them, he searched for them only to be surprised to find them in the infirmary. He had only left them for a few minutes and they were supposed to be talking, not looking like they've just fought a pack of delinquents.

Furihata's clothes were partially tattered on one side, he could see some small shards of glass still glinting in the jacket he was holding on his bandaged arm. The previously white cloth was now dyed in red. The new guy, Akashi, didn't look in a much better state, actually his injuries seemed to be the spitting image of Furihata's. 

"You _can't_ let Kasamatsu-sensei see you in this state!" Takao finally said after he regained his senses. "He's gonna flip!" Furihata scratched his cheek sheepishly, knowing Takao is most probably right. 

"I have some spare shirts you can borrow," Midorima said, gesturing to one of the cupboards in the corner of the room. 

Akashi nodded and opened the cupboard and grabbed two white shirts from the shelves. After making sure the size is seemingly ok, he tossed one of the shirts to Furihata and proceeded to dress himself. The pain in his arm was thankfully dull, he shouldn't have much trouble changing. 

"Whoa! Did you always have that mark on you, Furihata?" Takao exclaimed, pointing his index finger at Furihata's chest. 

Furihata flinched and quickly covered his chest with the shirt. What was he supposed to do now? How was he to explain this to Takao? He could feel his hands shaking as he averted his eyes away from Takao's piercing ones. He could sense that Akashi was also caught off guard by the question, if his tense shoulders were anything to go by. 

"Whatever," Takao dismissed his earlier question with a shrug,"You two need to hurry or you'll be late to class," 

Furihata couldn't even stop the sigh of relief that escaped his lips. He and Akashi quickly put on their clothes and said their quick thanks to Midorima-sensei. 

"Aren't you coming?" Furihata asked, noticing Takao never attempted to follow them outside. Takao scratched the back of his head with a nervous laugh.

"My stomach is upset!" He said in a haste. "I'm gonna take a pill and then follow you two," Furihata nodded and left, closing the door behind him.

Sometimes, Furihata's gullibility _really_ worried him. But this was one of the times he was glad for it. Takao turned to look at the distressed green haired man. 

"Ne, Shin-chan. When you asked me to keep an eye on Furihata, was it because of this?" He asked, a serious expression replacing his once cheerful facade. Midorima only nodded, letting out a tired sigh.

"Will this happen again? Will they keep on getting hurt?" Takao asked, almost shouting. His body trembled the moment Midorima nodded again. 

Midorima took off his glasses and placed him on his desk. It was only the first day of this curse and he was already feeling quite tired and Takao's worry about his best friend did add another amount of pressure to his already stressed-out mind. Not that he could blame Takao, he was only a _human_ after all. He wouldn't understand. Another sigh escaped his lips. 

"I'm sorry...I-I shouldn't have involved you," 

Takao forced himself to relax a little, noticing Midorima's troubled form. Even though it _was_ his fault for not warning Takao about this, he knew Midorima won't keep things from him unless he wasn't allowed to reveal them, the guy was a bad liar, really, at least to Takao who was able to read him like a book. 

Takao placed his hand on Midorima's. The touch startled him and he looked up to find Takao's usually peircing eyes had took on a much gentler gaze. Midorima could feel the tension leaving his muscles just by this simple gesture. Takao did have that power to affect him, he was special after all. Not that he'll ever admit it to the other's face. 

"Are they...going to be alright?" Takao asked, giving Midorima's trembling hand a small squeeze. 

"I...I don't really know,"

**......**

They managed to be back in class before the end of their lunch break. They didn't really eat anything though to be calling it a _lunch_ break. Furihata made a mental note to cook extra rice for tonight's dinner, just thinking about food made him hungry already. Their clothes were discarded, Akashi assured him he'll buy them both a new uniform, now that theirs were ruined beyond repair. 

His legs stopped in front of his seat. Furihata was seated in the middle row of the class near the _big_ window. Okay, maybe it was a regular window, but after what happened in the hallway, he wasn't very keen on going near any windows for the time being. His legs were petrified. 

The sudden weight on his head startled him. He looked up to find Akashi staring at him, his right hand resting on Furihata's head and it took him longer than it should to realize Akashi was _patting_ him. A reflexive blush made it's way to his cheeks as Akashi threaded his fingers through Furihata's brown strands for comfort. 

"We can trade seats. You don't have to force yourself," Akashi said in a calming tone. 

Furihata gazed into Akashi's sincere eyes. He wasn't making fun of him, he was genuinely offering his help which made Furihata relax because he didn't have to deal with his mini-trauma any time soon. Akashi continued to stroke his hair and he was suddenly very conscious of the long fingers patting him softly. It was relaxing to say the least, but they were in class and some of the students were eying them suspiciously. He quickly slapped Akashi's hand away.

Akashi didn't really know why he decided to comfort the boy, but he was glad he did when he saw relief taking over Furihata's visage. Furihata, though, avoided his eyes soon after and slapped the hand playing with his hair, albeit not with too much force, a pink blush adorning his cheeks as he quickly sat in Akashi's seat. 

"T-thank you," It was said in almost a whisper that Akashi wondered if he was hearing things. Furihata was hunching his head low, his face still a bit warm.

Akashi stared at his hand that was petting Furihata's soft strands just moments ago. 

If it always caused reactions like this from the brunette, he might as well do it _more_. He thought to himself with a smirk. 

Furihata's earlier nervousness disappeared as Takao entered the class and engaged in a friendly chat about books with Furihata. Furihata giggled as Takao told him he fell off the stepping stool when he tried to place a book on the upper shelves. 

Akashi found himself thinking that this reaction, too, wasn't...unpleasant. 

**......**

Thankfully the rest of the school day was uneventful. No random flying objects, angry animals or speedy vehicles whatsoever; Furihata thought speedy vehicles were a bit too much considering they were still inside the building and on the second floor but nevertheless he was glad he had to only deal with boring classes and nagging teachers.

Akashi was amazing, Furihata noticed. For a guy who just transferred into a new school, he was having no trouble keeping up with the lessons. He wasn't the only one who was impressed; the girls in his class made it very clear that they probably going to start a fan club of the new transfer student. They surrounded his seat after the classes had ended for the day and stammered Akashi with questions about himself and his former school, Akashi replied to every question with ease as if his answers were per-prepared. 

Furihata learned Akashi used to study at Rakuzan, a prestigious boarding school in Kyoto. He couldn't really understand why he left his school to come to their barely known, new school. The girls seemed to wonder the same thing as they asked Akashi of the reason why.

The redhead instantly shifted his gaze towards Furihata who was stuffing his books in his bag, half listening to the conversation. The minute he heard Akashi's answer though, the book he was holding in his hand dropped to the floor.

"I did it for Furihata-kun," was Akashi's blunt answer, delivered without a shred of hesitation. "I transferred so I could see him,"

His answer promoted a few squeals from the girls and suddenly Furihata felt like a deer in the headlights; he couldn't stop the blush under the knowing gazes of the girls which caused even more misunderstanding to occur.

Maybe Furihata really wouldn't mind if a truck came through their window any time soon.

"Nani, Nani, What's going on here?" came the curious voice of Kise that made the girls squeal at the appearance of their favorite teacher. "Furihatacchi, I came to pick you up. Senpai is waiting by the gates," He said with a wink, which made the girls squeal. 

"Ah, okay," Furihata said, quickly grabbing his bag, eager to get away from the prying girls' stares. 

"I'm going too. I have to make sure you reach home safely," Akashi said as he stood up to leave. His words caused another round of squeals and whispers and the color soon returned to Furihata's cheeks. 

He grabbed Akashi by the wrist and dragged him outside the classroom and towards the gate before Akashi could say anything else. Kise followed close by trying to suppress his snickers.

......

"I don't understand why you are so upset. I only stated the truth," Akashi said as the two, now, walked side by side down the street leading to the station. Kise and Kasamatsu were engaged in their own conversation walking a few paces away behind them. 

Furihata let out a frustrated sigh as he stared at Akashi in disbelieve; the redhead was still fixing him with a puzzled look. Well maybe Akashi wasn't really trying to mess with him and was only so painfully blunt and oblivious to the scary minds girls could posses.  

"No, just...try not to say those things in front of the girls, most of them are secret fujoshis you know!" Furihata ruffled his own hair as he thought of the terrible, inaccurate rumors those girls will spread. Akashi, still, looked confused. 

"Forget it," Furihata waved his hand dismissing his earlier statement. "That reminds me, you said you transferred to see me, what did you mean by that, then?" 

The confused look was soon replaced with seriousness which put Furihata on guard for some reason. "The first time I heard about the curse was from my grandmother half a year ago. My father always dismissed her worries and stories and I, too, thought nothing of them...that was until a few weeks ago when the mark first appeared," Akashi said glancing at his wrist where the flower was drawn. 

Furihata nodded in acknowledgement and waited for Akashi to continue. "Apparently, every hundred years the faith of our families would intertwine for a year." Akashi paused. "I don't remember much of the stories myself, but she said I had to look for a boy my age named, Furihata Kouki, which is exactly what I had done. Today after I saw the same mark on your chest I came to believe all her stories were true," 

Furihata took a moment to let all the new information sink in. So the curse was related somehow to their families and having it happening every hundred years meant it had happened times before. He didn't have any relatives left besides his aunt's family he was currently living with. If his parents were still alive, would they have told him about this curse too? 

"But, why us? Why our two families?" Furihata asked. Akashi looked thoughtful for a minute before fixing his eyes on the road once again. 

"I remember she said something about a binding contract between our ancestors. My father didn't appreciate her filling my head with her 'nonsense' and I was forbidden from visiting her ever since, therefor I don't know the exact details," 

Furihata's eyes widened with shock, even though anyone hearing about a curse put on his son wouldn't be happy, he didn't have to go that far and prevent his son from seeing his old grandmother. 

"You don't have to look like this, Furihata," Akashi reassured with a smile that said he understood Furihata's thoughts without him voicing it out. "Now that her words were proven right, I plan on visiting her soon enough and I'm sure my father won't object," 

Furihata couldn't stop the smile from blooming on his face, relieved the situation won't cause family disputes amongst other things. Akashi smiles as well and ruffles Furihata's brown strands. 

"You are a kind person, Furihata," He said as he withdrew his hand. Furihata averted his gaze, surprised by the sudden compliment. He ran his fingers through his hair in order to tame the messiness Akashi caused and distract himself from thinking about the fleeting touch.

Their small exchange though, didn't go unnoticed by the narrowed eyes of Kasamatsu. 

"Oi, Kise. Who's that kid walking with Kouki?" He asked in a hushed tone. 

"Oh! That's the new transfer student, Akashi Seijuurou!" Kise answered, "Some girls told me his family is super rich, like he's an heir or something!" He continued with enthusiasm. 

"How come they're friends so soon then?" Kasamatsu asked, ignoring the sparkles coming out of Kise's eyes. Those excited eyes, though, suddenly took on a teasing look. 

"What's this, Senpai? Are you jealous he found a new friend? Your brother complex sure is strong~" He sang the last part which earned him an instant hit from a blushing Kasamatsu. 

"I don't have a brother complex BAKA!" 

"Don't worry senpai! Even if Furihatacchi abandons you for another guy, I'll always stick to your side," Kise said after quickly recovering from Kasamatsu's usual violence. 

The older male let out a big exhausted sigh and picked up his pace, after shoving Kise off of him, hoping he'd reach the station a little sooner. 

......

The station was very crowded, but that came at no surprise. Students usually left at this hour and so the station was full of teenagers waiting for their train home. 

Furihata always disliked riding the train at this hour. Normally, he'd stay behind and watch Kise train the basketball team, then walk home with Takao, Fukuda and Kawahara. But seeing as Kise cancelled basketball training for this week, in order for the players to study for the midterm exams, he was stuck dealing with the crowd, bumping into people and having people bump into him. He really didn't like jam-packed spaces. 

A man's shoulder hit Furihata's a little too hard causing him to stumble a bit before he was steadied by an arm placed around his waist. Furihata looked up and found Akashi staring down at him with a frown. He guided him away from the sea of people and towards their platform, all without removing his hand.

"You should be careful. Don't let your guard down," Akashi said in a firm tone. 

"Ok." Furihata said with a nod, "Thank you," 

Their train would be for another minute but he still couldn't spot his brother or Kise. Sometime ago, and in the rush of people, they got separated. He frantically looked around him, searching for the familiar figure of his brother and sighed in relief when he saw Kise among the crowd making his way towards them. Kise was a good foot taller than most people and so he could be easily spotted, Furihata was thankful for that. 

His thoughts, though, were interrupted by a loud feminine scream. He turned his head in time to see the woman on the floor pointing towards a man running in his direction. 

"He's a thief! He stole my bag, somebody stop him!" 

Furihata tried to stand in the running man's way, but instead of stopping, the man shoved him out of his way a little too hard. This time, no one stopped him from stumbling and he fell off the platform, near the rails of the oncoming train. 

"KOUKI!!"

He heard Akashi's voice scream his name as he was massaging his abused butt. Looking up, he realized he had fallen quite a distance, he was glad he ended up with just a sore behind. But as he tried to stand, a sharp pain jolted in his leg and he found himself unable to stand. 

But what terrified him the most were the rumbling noises and the sound of train's whistle. The train he was supposed to be boarding was now approaching at a dangerous speed. The ground beneath him started vibrating vigorously and Furihata was struggling to get out of the train's way in time. 

Just when he was about to give up, he was suddenly pulled up away from the rails and into the warm embrace of someone just as the train passed them by, he could tell by the red tresses that it was Akashi holding him close in the narrow space between the platform and the rails. Akashi tightened his grip on Furihata's shoulders as the train hissed and screeched, finally coming to a full stop. 

Furihata let out the breath he was holding. He was just seconds away from actually dying. 

When Furihata tried to get out of Akashi's grip, it only tightened. Akashi's arms around him trembled, he shifted his head and buried it in the crook of Furihata's neck and gave it a lingering kiss before he parted to stare at the brunette in his arms, his eyes taking in every inch of his form, making sure he wasn't harmed in any place, it was only then that he let go, albeit reluctantly.

Furihata was sure he appeared as flustered as he felt. Akashi has suddenly kissed and nuzzled his head into his neck. To make matters worse, he was looking at Furihata like a concerned mother checking her child for injuries. The redhead wasn't saying anything, just continued staring at him with his mismatched orbs. 

Mismatched eyes...Furihata was sure Akashi's eyes were both red just a minute ago. This was happening too much to be a trick of the light. The air around Akashi always seemed to change whenever Furihata saw him with dichromatic eyes. 

"Are you okay?" He asked tugging a strand of hair behind Furihata's ear. Furihata couldn't find the voice to say anything so he nodded. The worry in Akashi's eyes was replaced with relief as the tension left his shoulders. 

Akashi continued to stare at his eyes and Furihata found himself unable to look away, gazing deep into the pools of red and gold. He was only woken up from his trance when the station guards and the train's driver came to check on them. Suddenly aware that they were far lost in their own world with many people around, both males averted their eyes, a vague blush adorning their cheeks.

Akashi was the first one to recover as he assured the men they were both ok. When Furihata caught a glimpse of his eyes, they were both red again. 

They were safely escorted back to the platform where Kasamatsu hugged him the minute he saw them.

"Kouki you idiot, don't act so recklessly!" Kasamatsu said letting go of Furihata and giving him a light punch on the head.

Furihata only laughed nervously as a response, his mind still occupied with Akashi's strange behavior. The said redhead poked his shoulder lightly, making Furihata turn to look at him. He was met with a soft gaze as Akashi showed him the flower on his wrist, now with only five petals instead of six and Furihata understood that they'd just overcame their very first misfortune. 

Even though he should feel reprieve that they overcame their first misfortune, it only seemed to add more anxiety to his mind as, now, there was no way in denying that this curse is real and is happening.

If he nearly died facing the first one, would he really be able to stay alive till the time he turns 18? He wondered.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One misfortune down, 11 to go ~  
> if you spot any mistakes please point them out so I could go back and fix them.  
> Any feedback is appreciated ~ Thank you so much for reading :3  
> Let me know what you guys think, if any of you wishes for a certain misfortune to befall them , I'm open for suggestions  
> again you can follow the updates on tumblr as well https://www.tumblr.com/blog/shadowwinggirl  
> Next chapter is one of my favorites so stay tuned for some pink and blue intrusion...


	4. A Heart Beat: Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the Kudos/comments/bookmarks, you guys are the best  
> hopefully you'll enjoy this chapter as well ~

_"It's age old pain, as I stare on and on into the past, in the end you emerge."_

**Chapter 4**

Furihata noticed that after the first misfortune, nothing out of the ordinary had happened for the rest of November. He would break a plate or two, but that was out of his own clumsiness than of an ancient curse. Akashi had concluded that once a misfortune ends, they would be safe of the 'bad luck' that follows it for the rest of the month. He had no moment to rejoice at the news though, for he had to catch up with his studies for the mid-term examinations if he wanted to avoid taking supplementary classes during his winter break.

Even though Akashi said they would probably be intact; he still insisted on accompanying Furihata everywhere to make sure he would be fine. They'd fallen into this routine where they ate lunch together and walked each other to and from school. Akashi even went as far as waiting for Furihata to end his shift at the cafe and giving him a ride home. Akashi had made it clear that it was much more convenient to him that way, they couldn't take any chances with wrongly assuming their temporary safety.

And so the sight of them walking the hallways of the school together became a regular sight, even though everyone still commented on how different their characters were.

Furihata stretched his arms above his head. He'd just finished the final exam for this week. His head was still processing formulas and numbers even though he had turned his paper in. He shook his head, it didn't matter any more, he was _so done_ with math.

He was never really fond of the subject, even though his brother was the one teaching the class. His brother was a good teacher and most students understood his teachings. He had tried to tutor Furihata more than once, but apparently Furihata's mind had something against math. It wasn't Furihata's fault, the formulas always looked the same.

Kasamatsu made his way to Furihata's seat after handing the test papers to his assistant. "You have work today right? Don't be late Ill be cooking Omelette Rice. Would Akashi be joining us for dinner?" He asked.

Even his brother has taken a liking to Akashi. With his polite manner and his passion for basketball, he was able to earn Kasamatsu's acceptance. While not sure if this was a good thing or not, Furihata liked seeing his brother's eyes glinting with excitement every time Akashi would tell a tale about his days as basketball team captain for Rakuzan.

"I don't know. I'll ask him after I'm done with my shift," Furihata said, happiness evident on his face at the mention of his favorite food.

"If he comes though, send me a text," With this Kasamatsu left the classroom.

Furihata began packing up his things so he and Akashi could walk to the cafe. The said redhead was called by a teacher and so Furihata decided to pack Akashi's stuff as well so they won't be late.

"So, Furi, do you wanna hang out at maji burger today?"  Kawahara asked while leaning against Furihata's desk. Furihata smiled apologetically at his friend.

"I have work at the cafe today, maybe another time,"

His friends let out a grunting noise as their faces took on an obvious pout. "You're always blowing us off these days," Fukuda said looking at Furihata who was placing Akashi's book inside the bag.

"What? Are you his personal maid or something?" He commented bitterly.

"Stop it, Fukuda. Akashi is my friend too," Furihata said, his tone laced with little annoyance. Fukuda's glare was fixed on Furihata who returned his glare with one of his own.

Feeling the heavy atmosphere, Kawahara quickly stepped between the two. "E-enough, you two! What Fukuda meant to say is that you're always with Akashi and we miss you too."

Furihata's gaze softened and he felt a bit guilty at Kawahara's words. He was caught up with everything happening around him, that he was neglecting his friends. But, it was not like the matter of the curse was something he could talk to them about.

"Ne, Furihata. Perhaps the rumors are real and you and Akashi are dating?"

Furihata froze.

"Kawahara!!!"

"What? You were the one wondering about it, weren't you?"

Furihata was still trying to register what his two friends have said. He knew there was a reason for the weird looks those girls were always giving them, but he never thought they'd actually start to spread those false rumors around the school. Once again it was proven; girls are scary.

"W-What are you talking about? O-of course we're not dating!" Furihata said after gaining enough composure to speak. "He's a GUY for heaven's sake! I'm a perfectly healthy _straight_ male, you know!" He had wanted to sound completely firm, but he couldn't stop the slight stutter or the vague blush on his face.

"See, Fukuda? What did I tell you?" Kawahara grinned as he placed an arm around Furihata's shoulder.

Fukuda looked away and Furihata could swear he saw hurt and disappointment in his eyes before he avoided his gaze. Furihata looked at him puzzled but was soon distracted by Kawahara. "Not that we won't accept you if you were gay or anything," He added nervously. Furihata sighed.

"Yeah, I know. But you don't need to worry about that!"

"Since this is the case, make sure you leave the weekend open for us to hang out," Fukuda said. His voice was normal and Furihata questioned if what he saw earlier was a fragment of his imagination. Furihata nodded with a smile.

"Furihata,"

Furihata's head turned to the door at the familiar voice. He quickly got out of Kawahara's grip and grabbed both bags in a haste. He handed Akashi his and he smiled at the friendly gesture that became quite common between the two.

"What did Kise-sensei want?" Asked Furihata. 

"He was trying to get me to join his team, but I respectfully declined," Akashi said, "He did ask me to attend practices nonetheless,"

"That's amazing! Why did you refuse? You love basketball, don't you?" Furihata asked, a little confused. Akashi turned to look at him with another warm smile.

"I have much more important things to think about right now, like keeping you safe," Furihata's face instantly colored as he pushed Akashi outside the classroom. Akashi couldn't help laugh a bit.

How was he able to utter such embarrassing things with a straight face was beyond Furihata's understanding.

"Come on, you're going to be late for work," Akashi said after calming down his giggles. Furihata elbowed Akashi's arm, softly.

"Who's fault do you think is that?" he muttered under his breath. He sighed and waved his friends goodbye before catching up with Akashi who was already walking down the hall.

"He says they're not, but they totally look like fools in love, you know?" Kawahara commented after the two exited the classroom, which earned him a punch on the head from Fukuda.

"If he says they're not, then they're not!" Fukuda grumbled.

Kawahara shook his head at his jealous friend. Why was he surrounded by in-denial people? He wondered.

******

Furihata walked alongside Akashi in silence. Kawahara's words still circling in his head. Did they really look like lovers in the eyes of other people? There really should be a limit to their imagination. He and Akashi were not even _friends_ , let alone lovers.

If Furihata was to describe their relationship, he'd say they were acquaintances of some sort. Two people who had a common goal, in this case escaping a deadly curse. Even though they nearly spend all their time together, it was spent in silence or idle chatter about school. Akashi was protecting him, yes, but he's doing so to protect himself, not because it was Furihata per say.

Moreover, even though Akashi knew nearly everything about him, Furihata didn't know anything about the guy aside from the few facts he said about himself. Akashi was clearly keeping his distance, always so faraway in a different world. It was honestly, downright frustrating!

It was just like Akashi has said, if you share the same fate with someone you'd want to know about them. But, unlike Furihata, who has always been an open book, Akashi is harder to deduce. It's like he won't allow just anyone to get close. And the fact that Furihata was among the people he didn't allow, meant he's not yet trusted and it hurt.

"Akashi-kuuuuun!"

Furihata's train of thoughts was interrupted by a high pitched voice. Next thing he saw was a girl with bright pink hair running towards them, only then does he register that they reached the school's main gate.

The girl stopped short of clashing into Akashi and she looked up at him with a bright smile. Akashi returned her smile and held her hand in his and gave it a kiss. All the girls present swooned at the action and the pink haired girl giggled softly.

"It's been a while, Momoi-san," Akashi said after letting go of her hand.

Furihata looked at this Momoi. She looked a bit older than them, her clothes were very stylish and she was certainly beautiful. Too beautiful if Furihata had to say, like a model or something. Their eyes locked for a second and he couldn't help but blush and fidget under the gaze of an attractive lady.

"I suppose Aomine-san is accompanying you?" Akashi asked in a knowing tone. Momoi nodded.

"Yes, he is. But you know Dai-chan, he's fallen asleep in the car on our way," Momoi said with a sigh, pointing to the sleek black car parked in front of the gate.

"Yes, that is very typical of Aomine-san," Akashi said with a small chuckle.

More and more, Furihata began to feel like a third wheel. Momoi and Akashi clearly knew each other from somewhere and Furihata felt like he was intruding. Akashi had a different look when talking to her, like he was letting his guard down and for some reason Furihata was unable to bear watching them together any longer.

"Ah, Akashi, I-I'll go ahead okay?" Furihata awkwardly said. Akashi's face returned to it's usual stoic nature as he shifted his gaze towards Furihata.

"Nonsense, Momoi-san and I can catch up at the cafe. I told you I'd come with you and I intend to do just that,"

Furihata wanted to protest, but one look into Akashi's eyes and he knew any attempt at arguing would be futile. He sighed and allowed himself to be led to the car, all the while trying to ignore the happily-chatting duo.

******

Furihata placed the drinks on the counter where Akashi, Momoi and the dark-skinned male named Aomine sat. Today was a slow day at the cafe, only a few tables were occupied, but the trio chose to sit there as Akashi wanted to be near where Furihata was working today.

From what he learned, Momoi was a personal stylist working for the Akashi family while Aomine was a bodyguard. Not that Furihata could understand why a family would need bodyguards and a personal stylist, but he figured it was something rich families had. He had also learned Aomine and Momoi were childhood friends who recently started dating and he felt quite silly for suspecting she had feelings for the redhead.

It wasn't like he was jealous of the possibility of Akashi having a beautiful girlfriend, rather he was a little envious of the close relationship they seemed to have, even now it was clear Momoi and Aomine knew about Akashi more than he would ever get to know.

"This place is nice. But it would be better if the uniform was cuter," Momoi commented while taking in the small cafe, then fixed her playful gaze at Furihata. "What do you say Furi-chan, shall I design you a special uniform?" She asked with a wink.

 _Furi-chan?_ Furihata gaped stupidly at her for a second, not quite sure of what to say. Aomine's glare, though, sent a shiver down his spine. He laughed nervously.

"Although I am happy to see the both of you, I have a feeling you didn't come for a cup of tea," The seriousness in Akashi's tone caught everyone's attention.

"As expected of Akashi-kun," Momoi said with a sad smile that alarmed Furihata a bit.

"Your old man sent us here," Aomine said, leaning back in his chair. Akashi's eyes darkened for a moment.

"I suspected this much," He said as he rested his chin on his hands. "Any particular reason he did so?"

Momoi and Aomine shared a glance before they looked at Akashi. "He...he wants to throw a party in Tokyo on your birthday," Akashi sighed.

"Eh? You're birthday is close?" Furihata asked, confused. Momoi smiled at him.

"Akashi-kun's birthday is in two weeks. You didn't know?"

"No..." Furihata replied, his voice barely audible.

"Tell him I'll attend. I obviously don't have a choice, though," Akashi said with a bitter smile. Aomine shrugged. Momoi fidgeted in her seat.

"Actually, Akashi-kun. There's one more thing he wanted us to tell you..." She paused before continuing. "He wants you to bring Furi-chan with you,"

Furihata was startled at the mention of his name. Akashi's eyes narrowed at the duo, and all of a sudden his left eye turned yellow. Momoi tensed.

"No," Akashi said firmly. "I won't allow Kouki to attend such an event,"

The previous friendly atmosphere was completely gone and was replaced by a heavy one. Furihata couldn't understand why the mentions of him attending a birthday party would cause such an effect. They were speaking of it, like it was a life sentence rather than an enjoyable party.

"He wants to meet the reason you left to Tokyo so suddenly," Momoi added after a minute of awkward silence.

Akashi stood up from his seat and glared down at Momoi. "My words are final, I don't want to hear another thing on the matter, Kouki will not attend," He said in the coldest tone Furihata has ever heard him use.

Aomine grabbed Akashi's collar as he, too, stood up from his seat and glared down at him. "Don't speak to her that way! If you've got anything to say, then get your sorry ass back to Kyoto and talk to your own damn father!"

Akashi's glare intensified and even though it was scarier than Aomine's, the blue haired male didn't flinch.

The commotion grabbed the attention of some of the other customers and Furihata felt the need to stop the two males before anything bad was to happen. Momoi seemed to share his thoughts as she too stood up and grabbed Aomine's hand.

"Dai-chan, that's enough," She said, softly but firmly. Aomine tsked before he forced himself to calm down and let go of Akashi's collar, but he didn't abandon his glare.

"Akashi-kun," Momoi said, her gaze now on Akashi. "If he doesn't come, then your father would find another way to meddle in your affairs and I know you wouldn't want that to happen," Her stern tone was different to her previous playful one.

Akashi didn't comment as he thought deeply about what she said.

"I'll go,"

Furihata's voice interrupted his thoughts. If attending this party would put an end to their quarrel then he didn't mind. The party couldn't be that bad, could it?

Akashi was about to protest, but Momoi had already squealed and jumped at Furihata and engulfed him in a hug. Furihata stumbled backwards at the sudden impact and he bumped into the waitress that was walking behind him.

The waitress lost her balance and the steaming coffee pot she was holding fell off the tray. It was about to hit Momoi, but Furihata managed to twist her just in time, placing himself in the hot liquid's way. The pot opened as it hit Furihata's hand and it poured its contents on it.

Furihata cringed at the pain as he stood up, pulling Momoi along with himself. He turned to the waitress and offered her his uninjured hand and pulled her to her feet. She was still quite stunned as everything had happened so fast. 

Before anyone could say anything, Akashi pulled Furihata by the wrist and ran behind the counter and into the kitchen, ignoring the weird stares they got. He turned the tap on and placed Furihata's hand under the water current.

The cold water did sting a bit, but felt nice against his flushed red skin...It was gradually beginning to feel less painful and Furihata wonders if the water was really that effective, that is until he noticed the burn on his hand was fading. His hand slightly trembled as he watched the burn slowly appear on Akashi's hand.

He grabbed Akashi's, now, injured hand in his own trembling one and placed it under the water current.

"I'm...sorry," His voice was shaky. Akashi sighed and pet Furihata's head with his other hand.

"It's not your fault. We let our guard down and forgot a new month had begun already," Akashi said, but the tremors in Furihata's hand didn't stop.

Furihata knew his injures would transfer to Akashi. He had seen it before. If only he moved a second faster...If only he wasn't such a stumbling idiot then maybe none of this would have happened. Tears of frustration and guilt started streaming down his face.

The tab was closed, suddenly and before Furihata knew it, his chin was raised by delicate, pale fingers and he was now staring at a pair of dichromatic eyes. Akashi's gaze was softer than it was a few minutes ago. His thump traced his cheek as it wiped away his tears. Furihata stared at Akashi, his mouth opening then closing, not quite sure of what to say.

"The curse is the one attracting this bad luck, not you. Don't stop helping people because of it, if one of us is bound to get hurt, I'd always rather it was me," 

Furihata's heart clenched at Akashi's words. Words died in his throat when he tried to respond, for he was elated at Akashi's deceleration, but still felt guilty and scared for his well-being. All those conflicting emotions poured down his face in the form of tears.

He heard Akashi let out a soft sigh before he leaned down and started kissing his tears away. Furihata was so bewildered, his tears seized.

"You finally stopped crying," Furihata could _hear_ the smile in Akashi's voice.

The sound of hurried footsteps inside the kitchen took him out of his trance. Riko came to his side, followed by a worried Momoi.

"Are you okay, Furihata-kun?" Riko asked, grabbing his shoulders.

Furihata was still feeling a bit overwhelmed that it took him longer than it should to reply. "Y-yes! I-I'm fine...I think,"

Riko raised an eyebrow at him, not totally convinced.

"I'm so sorry, Furi-chan, it's all my fault!" Momoi said as she engulfed Furihata is a hug.

Furihata wanted to tell them that he was fine, that it was Akashi they should check on, but no words came out. All he could think of, was the fluttery feeling in his stomach and the memory of lips on his skin. His face heated at the thoughts and he lowered his head as to not catch Akashi's stare.

What was that about?

******

Akashi let out an exhausted sigh as he threw his bag on the floor, not even bothering to hang it in its place like he always does.

The rest of the evening could only be described as a disaster; Furihata kept avoiding him and abandoned his post at the counter and started waiting the tables. It was clear he wasn't focusing on his job as he kept stumbling on nothing but air and would flinch every time Akashi would offer to help. In the end his manager had given him the rest of the day off.

The car ride wasn't any better. Furihata never spoke a word to him as he wished Momoi and Aomine goodnight.

And it was all because of _him!_

"You are making things quite awkward between Furihata and I, I'll appreciate it if you stopped," Akashi said addressing his younger brother in the part of their conscious they shared.

His brother had a smirk on his face before he turned his back to Akashi.

"Protecting Kouki is my responsibility, I only wished to ease his burden. I hardly believe it's any of your business," He said in a smug tone. Akashi's eyes darkened at him.

"It is, we _are_ sharing the same body. Furihata doesn't know you exist,"

"That's harsh, Aniki," His other self let out an amused snicker. "Why not tell him then?"

Akashi felt himself tense.

"You're afraid you'd drive him away, aren't you?" His tone took on a sad note. Akashi looked away as the words had hit its mark. His younger brother sighed.

"I'm sure you noticed, but my Kouki is not like most people we encountered, he understands..." His tone wavered at the end of the sentence. Before Akashi could comment his brother disappeared.

Akashi was surprised at his brother's words. Sharing the same body meant they could know what the other is feeling and thinking, and Akashi knew his brother was almost always shielding his true self behind that confident front, but he never expected him to voice a compliment of the mousy boy they came to know in a month.

Akashi could feel it, that day at the train station when his brother launched into saving Furihata without a second thought. The slight shake he felt throughout his body, the tightening arms around the boy's frame and that...kiss. It all meant the boy was something special to him and what happened today confirmed his theory. 

Just who was Furihata Kouki to his brother? Who was Furihata Kouki to _himself?_

******

Furihata threw himself on his bed the moment he entered his room and buried his face into his pillow.

He had barely touched his dinner, his worried older brother was even about to drag him to a hospital, because a normal Kouki would never refuse omlette rice! It took a while to convince Kasamatsu that he just ate at work and wasn't hungry. All lies, he knew, but he didn't want to worry his brother.

He had meant to forget about the _accidental-brush-of-lips_ on his neck that day at the station, as both he and Akashi were too close to one another and it was probably all a mistake. Akashi had acted normal afterwards so he was able to let it go.

But today...Were friends supposed to kiss your tears away in such a manner?

His face took on a dark shade of red at the memory.

He now lied on his back and stared at the ceiling. Even more that his surprise at Akashi's actions, he was surprised at himself for he felt no disgust of revulsion. Rather what scared him is that he didn't mind it at all, but was just embarrassed.

He shook his head. He was letting what Kawahara had said today to get to his head! Of course it meant nothing! Akashi probably had done so to other people to calm them down!

But even when he told himself that, he couldn't stop remembering Akashi's kind gaze as his warm hand cupped his cheeks.

Ah...This is bad.

His heart skipped a beat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More Aomomo is coming your way ~   
> The chapter was a VERY long one, so I had to make it into two parts so I could keep a good pace without rushing anything  
> Next part is Akashi's Birthday party


	5. A Heart Beat: Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the kudos/bookmarks/subscriptions and comments ~  
> You guys always make my day!  
> I have 100 kudos already OMG *freaks out*

_“Have enough courage to trust love one more time and always one more time.”_

**Chapter 5**

This was _not_ how Furihata imagined he’ll be spending his weekend.

He had planned on lazing around in the morning then maybe calling the guys to play some street basketball. His brother was spending the day at some onsen trip for the teachers at school. But, certainly, being dragged by Momoi to go shopping for a suit at a prestigious shop he normally would have never set foot in, in his pajamas no less, hadn’t been one of those plans at all.

“Hmmm,” Momoi repeated once again, while circling the uncomfortable Furihata. She placed a finger on her chin, eyed the fabric of the suit then shook her head.

“It’s just so plain. And black is clearly _not_ your color,” She finally concluded.

Furihata sighed as he was pushed again in the dressing room with another suit to try on. He couldn’t understand all the fuss about the suits; they all looked the same to him. He came to know that Momoi was quite intense when switching her ‘stylist mood’ on.

The suit he put on this time was a dark grey one. Momoi looked at him with a calculating look, and then a smile played on her lips as she nodded once at him.

“Yup! This one would do,” She said and nodded again and Furihata could finally sigh in relief. “But we have to do some adjustments for a better fitting, it should be done by the time of the party though,”

Furihata blinked in confusion. It was a bizarre enough situation to come shopping for a suit in the first place, but for the suit to be bought for the purpose of attending Akashi’s birthday party next week, it didn’t make sense at all, not to him at least. 

“Why do I have to wear a suit to a birthday party?” He finally voiced his question, but was soon to regret it.

Aomine, who was leaning his back on one of the racks, burst out in laughter and Momoi clutched one hand to her stomach as she chuckled. Furihata felt like he had asked a stupid question and could only redden in confusion and embarrassment.

“W-what’s so funny?!” He asked, flustered.                                        

“Oh, Furi-chan, you’re so cute!” Momoi said as she hugged him, but when she pulled away she looked at him with a sad smile.

“Parties in the Akashi family are never normal. They are so formal, nothing fun at all,”

Furihata felt the need to do something to free her of the solemn expression on her face. But, he was never good at comforting girls, or actually any one for the matter. Before he could utter whatever words his brain could construct, a tan hand was placed on top of Momoi's head.

Momoi glanced up at Aomine who stood next to her, her expression softened almost instantly and Furihata was dazed for a bit by the warm look in her eyes.

“You should be more worried about meeting Akashi’s dad than the party itself,”

The sweet moment was cut short by Aomine, and Momoi’s expression shifted into one of annoyance as she punched his arm. Not that it really did any damage, though, but at least it got her point across.

“Don’t scare him like that!” She scolded with a pout and Aomine just tsked and turned to look away.

“It’s the truth anyway,”

Furihata completely forgot that it was Akashi’s dad who wanted to meet him and never stopped to actually think about why he wanted to  What kind of person was he for Aomine to say such a comment? He remembered Akashi, too, wasn’t so keen on the idea, but never said a thing about it.

It could also be that Furihata never gave him a chance to say anything, as he was mostly avoiding him for the past week.

Whenever he was around the redhead, his heartbeats would take a rhythm different from its usual one. Furihata wasn't _that_ naive as to not know why, but Akashi seemed as composed as ever and he continued to act as if nothing had happened, and to be the only one affected by Akashi’s unexplained actions, was frustrating.

Furihata couldn’t deny the growing _admiration_ he felt towards him, Akashi was one of the smartest and gentlest people he ever met after all. But, Furihata’s history with romance wasn’t glorious in any way, and none of his past interests shared a possible fatal curse with him. He doubted it was the time to address the issue of a possible crush when their situation was as complex as it is with eleven misfortunes left to overcome.

Nevertheless, the feeling of wanting to know more about Akashi remained the same. Even if he was to come face to face with his obviously fearful father, the party was the perfect place to learn more of his life.

“Look out!!”

Furihata was jolted out of his thoughts by Momoi’s voice.

But before he could begin to understand the source of her panic, a tall, built figure stood before him and shielded him from the large mirror which apparently was falling on him. Aomine took in a deep breath and set the mirror back in its place. He didn’t even want to think about what Akashi would have done if he failed in protecting Furihata.

“Thank you for saving me!” Furihata said with a bow when Aomine turned to look at him. The taller male scratched his neck.

“It’s nothing. But jeez, it would have been 7 years of bad luck if the mirror broke! You’re jinxed enough as it is!” He remarked while glancing at the 6 foot tall mirror.

Furihata laughed nervously.

“You have no idea, Aomine-san,”

******

If Furihata was nervous when he entered the formal clothing shop, then he was downright terrified when the limousine that came to escort him to the party stopped before a 5 star hotel located in the financial and business area of Tokyo.

One of the hotel’s staff, dressed in a black tux, lead him into the hall where the party was going to be held. Furihata’s eyes widened as he scanned the place. It looked like something straight out of a movie or one of those novels he always liked to read. The walls of the spacious hall were of golden color, and from the middle of the ceiling, a magnificent crystal chandelier dangled above the dance floor.

The hall was already filled with people, even though there was still some time before the party was due. Furihata found himself scanning the crowd, unconsciously looking for the familiar mob of red hair he came to miss seeing during the past couple of days. Akashi had been absent from school for the sake of attending a few meetings with his father while he was in Tokyo and so left the mission of keeping Furihata safe to Aomine and Momoi who appointed themselves as Furihata’s new ‘stalkers’ in place of Akashi.

Furihata’s heart was nagging at him though, he couldn’t tell what it was, but something didn’t feel right and he was genuinely worried about Akashi.

All those worries disappeared though, the minute his eyes found him standing near the stage.

Unlike Furihata who felt foreign in a place such as this one, Akashi looked at home wearing his expensive tux which was clearly tailored just for him. But even though he was smiling as he spoke with his companion; his eyes seemed more tired than usual which re-sparked the worry in Furihata's eyes.

As if sensing Furihata’s stare, Akashi stopped talking mid-sentence and turned to look at the brunet staring intently at him and their eyes met. It could be Furihata’s wishful thinking, or maybe it was his mind playing games with him, but he could almost swear Akashi’s eyes lit up the moment they caught his.

Akashi’s expression softened from a slight shock into a smile as his eyes took in Furihata’s outfit for the evening. His usual messy strands were styled this time, which made him seem a bit more mature. Momoi couldn’t have chosen a better suit for the brunet, the red tie she’d made him wear complimented his hazel eyes and there was no denying it was Akashi’s favorite color and he loved seeing it on Furihata. Entrusting this job to her was not a mistake.

He motioned for the brunet to come closer with his hand, the action seemed to jolt Furihata out of his daze as he averted his eyes from Akashi’s, a small blush on his face. The reaction send mixed feelings into Akashi’s heart. While the flustered expression on Furihata’s face was becoming something Akashi found extremely endearing, he knew it was because of his brother’s thoughtless ‘comforting’ gestures. It felt unnerving to be avoided because of things he didn’t commit.

Furihata walked to where Akashi was standing and it was then that he took a good look at his companion. He was tall, taller than 6 foot perhaps and had green hair. He was holding a drink in his right hand, but in his tapped left one, he held a pink blush toy. Furihata stared at the oddly familiar toy before his memory finally flipped a card.

“Midorima-sensei?!” Furihata said, louder than he intended. Midorima didn’t seem fazed by his outburst and only adjusted his glasses.

Akashi chuckled. “Our parents are business partners. We’ve known each other for quite some time,” He explained.

“Oh,” Furihata said, unsure of how to reply to this new information.

“I should take my leave now, Akashi. Other guests would want to talk to you, I’m glad to know you are well,” Midorima said with a small duck of his head and excused himself, leaving Furihata and Akashi alone.

“How have you been, Furihata?” Akashi asked with a smile. Furihata tensed a bit now that the conversation was directed at him.

"I'm fine!" He said, louder than he intended. He calmed down a bit and stared in Akashi's eyes. "Hoe have _you_ been?"

"I'm well. I had to attend rather lengthy meetings, but it was rewarding in its own way. But I have to say I quite missed protecting you from falling objects,“ He chuckled. "I trust you were fine under Aomine and Momoi’s care?”

The mentions of the pair eased the tension from Furihata’s shoulders and he laughed, clutching a hand to his stomach. “Aomine-san kept glaring at the guys at the cafe and Momoi-san couldn’t stop teasing Riko-san and suggesting a new new uniform for the cafe workers,” He calmed down a bit, the giggles melting into a soft smile. “They are good people,”

“As you are,”

Akashi’s simple comment caused Furihata’s face to heat up. He lowered his head to avoid Akashi’s gaze, but instantly he heard the guy before him sigh which made him look at Akashi again. He had a disappointed look on his face as his fingers tugged at a strand of Furihata's hair.

“Listen to me, Furihata. There’s something you should know,” Akashi let go of his hair and his expression turned serious. "I've been meaning to tell you this for a while now," Furihata listened intently.

But before Akashi could continue, one of the butlers approached him and informed him of the arrival of important guests that wished to see him. The redhead sighed and dismissed the man, telling him he’d be right there.

“Furihata, wait for me by the buffet. Try not to speak to anyone who approaches you as long as I’m not there,” Akashi commanded softly. Furihata nodded. "We'll continue at some other time," He said in a low voice and left to attend to his guests. Furihata made his way to the buffet tables.

Furihata sighed as he leaned on the table behind him. He certainly did feel out of place, not only because he was positively sure anyone in this room either owned a big company or was close enough to Akashi’s family to be invited here, but because they were much older than him. The youngest looking guest was Midorima-sensei and even he was seven years older than Furihata. Despite the apparent age-gap, Furihata looked at Akashi as he spoke to each one of them with ease, a gentle smile plastered on his face. The older men were clearly engaged in whatever they were talking about.

So far, the party has only shown him once again, how different he is to Akashi.

Furihata sighed again and turned to look at the food spread across the table. Momoi had been on his case since early in the morning and so he didn't have enough time to eat a proper meal. The food was mouth-watering and it was such a waste not to taste it.

He grabbed a nearby plate and started placing a bit of everything he wanted to eat. But when he reached for the last mini burger, another larger hand grabbed it before Furihata.

Furihata glanced up at the owner of the hand and came across a pair of red eyes looking straight into his. They both awkwardly stared at each other before the man with red eyes broke their contact to look at Furihata's half-full plate. He shook his head and placed a couple of mini burgers, from his own impressive pile of food, on Furihata's plate. 

"You should eat more! That's way too little!" The stranger commented and stuffed one of his own burgers in his mouth.

"Ah, no...umm...T-thank you..." Furihata trailed off. The man before him grinned.

"Kagami, Kagami Taiga, oh and don't worry about it," Kagami said. Furihata found himself returning Kagami's grin with a smile of his own.

Kagami's built was similar to Aomine's, if not even more built than him. His hair was a dual color of red and black and except the weird shape of his eyebrows, that man was handsome. He seemed unused to those events as Furihata was, if him tugging on his tie every other second was anything to go by.

"I'm Furihata Kouki, thank you again, Kagami-san," Furihata said with another smile. Kagami looked sheepish for a bit, scratching the back of his neck.

"I told you it's fine! The food is the only good thing in those parties anyway," He said as he eyed the dance floor where couples were dancing to the slow tune. Furihata wasn't very fond of the party either, but it was not as bad as he feared it'll be.

"You were talking with Akashi earlier, are you a friend of his?" Kagami asked.

"Yeah...you can say so," Furihata replied. Kagami raised a brow at Furihata's answer but said nothing more.

The two ate their food in mutual silence.

"Seriously, Can you believe the Akashi family?" A guy said as he walked to the buffet table. His companion grabbed a plate and started placing some food on it.

"Right? Pulling this kind of thing for a 17 year old kid? People with too much money to spare sure are lucky,"

"Everyone is kissing up to him, you know? It's nice having everything in life served to you on a silver platter,"

Furihata felt his hands clenching into fists. He'd only known Akashi for a couple of months and even then he knew he worked harder than any other person his age. He was a lot smarter and kinder than many people he knew and for sure Akashi would have never talked about anyone the way those two were talking about him, no matter the status. 

"Akashi-kun works harder than any of you! Don't speak of him like this!"

The two men put down their plates and turned to look at Furihata with a glare. "Huh? What's it to you, kid? What are you gonna do about it?"

Furihata really hadn't thought things through and just blurted the first thing that came to his mind. It wasn't in his intention to start a fight in the middle of Akashi's party, but he couldn't just stand there and listen to them badmouthing the redhead.

"How about I show you out if you really hate the guy," Kagami said, looming over the two smaller men while cracking his knuckles. They froze in fear before quickly dashing elsewhere. Kagami tsked.

"Those lowly scum really piss me off," Kagami stated, then sighed. "Most of the people present in this place think the same, you know. There's a rumor Akashi's gonna stat his training at the company after he graduates and everyone is already trying to get on his good side,"

Furihata's eyes scanned the hall once again and almost instantly he found Akashi speaking with yet another man in a fancy suit. His smiles by now were less genuine than when the evening had started and his eyes clearly reflected his little interest in what the man before him was saying. To be living in such a world of lies was such a sad thing.

"Are you friends with Akashi too, Kagami-san?" Furihata asked, as he was curious to know how Kagami came to know so much about Akashi.

"Ah, no. I work for the Akashi family. I'm head of the security guards protecting the Akashi family," Kagami explained.

"Oh! Kinda like Aomine-san!" Furihata said the first thing that came to his mind. For some reason, Kagami cringed.

"So you met that bastard, huh? He's Momoi's personal bodyguard though," Kagami said and Furihata nodded in understanding.

The band stopped playing and people left the dance floor and each grabbed a glass of wine from one of the trays the butlers were holding. Everyone's eyes were glued to the entrance of the hall and Furihata couldn't help but wonder what everyone's been looking at.

A man in his fifties walked through the doors, his coat fluttering behind him. He had this dominant and authoritative air around him that sent shivers through Furihata's spine. His golden eyes were cold and piercing and he walked with steady and calculated steps. Behind him, Momoi entered the hall dressed in a green evening dress that hugged her body and highlighted her curves, Aomine followed close by.

"That's Akashi's father," Kagami said. Furihata nodded, having his assumption confirmed.

Akashi greeted his father with a bow and the two exchanged a few words before they turned to look in his direction. Furihata tensed under the watchful eye of both Akashi and his father, they were too intense for his liking. Akashi motioned for him to get closer.

He excused himself, bowing to Kagami briefly and started walking to where Akashi was standing. He could feel the tension in the air even before he got there and it was making him feel nervous already.

When he was walking though, a jingling sound caught his attention. He stopped in his tracks, a little puzzled about the sound which echoed rather loudly in the hall. Before he could begin to wonder about the source of the noise, his body was shoved to the ground with such force. The person who shoved him tackled him to the floor and covered Furihata's face with his jacket.

It wasn't long before they heard a shattering noise.

Furihata slowly opened his eyes and lifted his head and stared at the dance floor. The chandelier that once hung up from the ceiling was now on the floor in pieces right where he used to be standing a few seconds ago. His heart raced when the thought of what would have possibly happened to him if he was still standing there crossed his mind.

"That was a close one! Are you okay?" Kagami's voice woke him from his trance as he stared down at him with worried eyes. Furihata nodded and accepted Kagami's hand when he offered to help him stand.

"Thank you," Furihata said after finding the strength to stand up again.

"Kouki! Are you okay?!" Akashi asked frantically as his eyes scanned Furihata. Furihata laughed nervously.

"Yes I'm fine! Kagami-san saved me," At Furihata's words Akashi calmed down a bit and looked over Furihata's shoulders to where Kagami was standing.

"Taiga," He addressed the man with narrowed eyes. Kagami didn't seem affected by it, though.

Akashi took a deep breath in. "Thank you...for saving Kouki. I'm indebted to you," He said, bowing at the man.

At this Kagami stared at him with wide eyes. Was Akashi seriously bowing at him in thanks? "N-no! It was nothing! My instincts took over me I suppose!" Kagami stammered his reply as he wasn't used to Akashi directing such genuine gratitude towards him. The two hardly ever spoke and Kagami was convinced Akashi didn't like him one bit. Kagami's eyes then were fixed on Furihata who was dusting his clothes. Just who was that kid to Akashi for him to lose his composure like this?

"I see the stories are real, Furihata Kouki," The deep, cold voice of Akashi's father halted all conversations.

"Aomine, why don't you show our guests to the other hall where the deserts are served while the hotel employes take care of the mess?" He commanded, not even sparing a glance at Aomine. The tanned man nodded and proceeded to his task.

"Seijuurou, I wish to speak with Furihata Kouki alone,"

Furihata could feel Akashi tense beside him which made him even more nervous.

Akashi took deep breaths through his nose and tried to calm his other self down a bit. He couldn't blame his brother for worrying about Furihata talking to his father alone, but he tended to get a bit reckless when it came to Furihata and he couldn't risk him saying anything that could complicate things more than they already were. When he re-opened his eyes, they were both red again.

"...Yes, of course, father."

He could feel Furihata shaking beside him. Akashi squeezed his hand in reassurance and surprisingly the tremors stopped.

"I'll be there too, Furi-chan!" Momoi said as she grabbed Furihata's arm.

Akashi watched at the trio walked towards the lobby of the hotel. He turned to look at Kagami.

"I'm surprised to see you here. Is Kuroko with you?" Akashi asked.

"No, he's stuck at one of his tea ceremonies back home. I came in his stead," Kagami said while scratching the back of his neck. 

"I see. Though, It's unusual of you to leave him alone," Akashi said. A blush crept upon Kagami's cheeks.

"He's gonna be okay! He's at the main house, nothing will happen," Kagami said flailing his arms a bit. Akashi chuckled.

"Well, then. Would you mind keeping me company until they are done talking?" Akashi asked as his eyes were fixed in the direction of the entrance.

"Sure," Kagami said, sensing the worry in Akashi's voice.

******

Furihata fidgeted in his seat as he sat across from Akashi's father and Momoi. He didn't say anything and continued to stare at Furihata with a calculating look that reminded him of Akashi for a bit. Finally, Furihata heard Akashi's father sigh.

"I suppose I should formally introduce myself. I'm Akashi Masaomi, Seijuurou's father and current CEO of Akashi corporation," Masaomi said in a business like matter.

But before Furihata could introduce himself, Masaomi cut him short by raising his hand up. "I already know who you are, Furihata-kun,"  He said and then glanced at Momoi who was seated beside him.

"Let me introduce myself again, Furi-chan. I'm Momoi Satsuki, personal advisor of Akashi-sama," She said with a small bow. Furihata looked at her, shocked. He was sure she told him she was a stylist the first time the two had met. Sensing his inner conflict, Momoi continued. "I'm sorry I lied to you. I wanted to take note of you and Akashi's relationship under Akashi-sama's orders, so I told Akashi-kun not to tell you anything,"

Furihata nodded slowly at that. He had been under some kind of investigation without him even realizing it. He was acting like his normal self in front of Momoi and he felt a little betrayed to know she was only there to observe him and Akashi.

"I never believed in the stories my mother told Seijuurou, not even after he send a letter saying they were true. But after Momoi-san's report and the earlier incident, I suppose I have no other choice but to believe they are so," Masaomi said with a heavy sigh.

Furihata didn't know if he was to respond or how to respond to Akashi's father. But even if he did know what to say, it seemed Masaomi wasn't planning on letting Furihata join the one-sided conversation, as he continued on with his speech.

"What interested me in Momoi-san's report though, is the fact that your presence stirs Akashi's second personality,"

At this, Furihata's mind stopped. Second personality? What was Akashi's father even talking about? At his clear bafflement, The cold look Akashi's father was fixing him with turned into one of amusement.

"You don't know what I'm talking about, do you?" Furihata shook his head. Masaomi smiled, but it was a kind of smile that didn't seem friendly at all. Furihata was actually scared.

"If Seijuurou didn't tell you yet, then he doesn't trust you enough. It makes this a lot easier," Masaomi spoke in a business like manner. "Seijuurou is my son and only heir. So be it a curse or not, I would do what I can to protect him, even if it was on your own behalf. Am I clear?"

Furihata could only nod.

******

The ride back home could only be described as awkward.

Furihata didn't say a thing since he came back from his brief meeting with his father and he refused to tell Akashi anything. Momoi kept apologizing for hiding her true occupation from Furihata, but the boy said nothing and only nodded at her with a weak smile.

This didn't settle well within Akashi, not one bit.

Upon reaching Furihata's home, he further assured Akashi he was okay. Not that it had convinced the redhead, but not wanting to pressure him into anything, he bid him goodnight and watched in silence as he disappeared through the doors of his home.

"Did my father do anything to upset Furihata, Momoi-san?" He asked once he was alone with Momoi and Aomine in the car.

"Not that I can think of," She shook her head. "Maybe he's tired? A lot happened tonight,"

Akashi sighed at her response but didn't question any further. He'd have to admit a lot had happened today and dealing with those business men took a toll on his own body. As much as he hated it, he saw it would be better to address the issue tomorrow when Furihata would be, hopefully, willing to share.

-

"I hope Furi-chan doesn't hate me. It'll be troubling," Momoi said as she leaned against the car.

They had just dropped Akashi off to his place and so she and Aomine were standing alone outside his apartment complex. 

"Well, it couldn't be helped, I guess," Aomine said as he stifled a yawn.

The sound of foot steps caught his attention and he quickly stepped before Momoi and tucked her behind him, glaring at the small alleyway.

"Relax, Aominecchi. It's just us," A voice said with a small chuckle, as a blonde haired man appeared before him. Aomine's stance relaxed almost instantly.

"Oh, it's just Kise," He said in a lazy tone.

"It's Midorin, too!" Momoi said excitedly, noticing Midorima walking behind Kise.

"You're late Aomine. The Misfortunes began two months ago," Midorima said with a hump, as he pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose.

"Quit complaining. I'm here now aren't I?" He said. "Don't you know how hard is it to work for the Akashi family?"

Midorima ignored his remark and instead turned to face Momoi. "What do you think of the situation this time, Momoi?"

The smile on Momoi's face turned into a smirk. "I already have all the data I need, but I will continue to observe them. This time, they won't surprise us," She said in a confident tone which caused Aomine to smirk as well.

"I was the only one not invited to the party," Kise whined with a pout. "It was boring watching from afar,"

"It's your job to watch anyway,"

"Aominecchi is so mean!"

Kise's attitude lightened up the atmosphere a bit. But the four knew it'd be a long time before they could truly relax again.

"It's pretty late, so we'll be on our way. Need a ride?" Aomine asked, even though he knew the answer. Kise smirked at him.

"We could manage," He said as he and Midorima floated in air. "Don't slack off on your job again!"

"Shut up!" Aomine shouted at him as the two disappeared into the night sky.

******

Furihata entered his room with a heavy sigh.

It wasn't Akashi's father's final threat that caused this deep feeling of disappointment he felt, Akashi was his son and he could totally understand a parent's desire to protect their child.

_Akashi's second personality  
_

The words kept repeating in his head since he had heard them uttered by Masaomi. He knew Akashi still didn't trust him, he knew it and still it hurt when someone else said it out loud. There were still many things about the redhead he wished to know and yet he was so easily dismissed by Masaomi because he didn't gain Akashi's trust as of yet.

It hurt. More than any other physical injury he sustained during the course of the curse.

He sighed again as he took of his jacket and unbuttoned his shirt. He hanged the jacket carefully in his closet as it was probably the most expensive thing inside it. When he closed the closet and was about to take his shirt off, his eyes caught his reflection in the mirror.

The flower on his chest now had five petals instead of six.

Furihata panicked as he checked the reflection again. If the flower's only got five petals, it means they did manage to overcome the second misfortune. He was sure it had six petals this morning and so the misfortune must have occurred at the party.

Furihata placed a finger on his chin as his brain went through the events of tonight. Ah! It must have been the falling chandelier! Now, he was truly grateful for Kagami for saving his and probably Akashi's life.

At the thought of Akashi, he grabbed his cell phone and dialed Akashi's number, eager to tell him the news. The phone didn't need to ring twice before the line was picked up.

"Furihata?" Akashi's voice said from the other side, his voice sounded surprised.

"I-I just wanted to tell you that the flower has five petals now," Furihata said. He knew he didn't need to elaborate more as Akashi was going to understand what flower he was talking about.

"I see. Then I suppose we do owe Kagami-san a gift," Akashi said with a hint of smile in his voice.

Hearing Akashi sound so relieved made Furihata relax, and his own lips curled up into a smile. A long pause stretched on. Neither of them spoke, they continued to hear each others' breath over the phone. But it was Akashi that interrupted the silence.

"Furihata...Whatever happened with you and my father today?" Akashi asked and the worry was clear in his voice. Furihata tensed.

"N-nothing happened, really!" Furihata said in a haste. He heard Akashi sigh.

"I'd wish for you not to lie to me."

Furihata said nothing and he could tell Akashi was waiting for him to say the first words, but Furihata wasn't very sure of what to say or if Akashi was going to be okay with what he has in mind. His hand clenched on his phone. 

"I...I trust you Akashi-kun," Furihata said. Akashi made a humming noise, a sign for Furihata to continue speaking. "I-I want you to trust me too! I know that I'm not really reliable and always get you into trouble, but...I want us to be...friends. I want to know more about you, that's all,"

Furihata's heart was beating so loudly as he awaited Akashi's response.

"...I was under the impression we were already friends, Furihata," Akashi finally said with a chuckle that send color to Furihata's cheeks. He was suddenly very glad he was speaking to Akashi over the phone.

"If that's what was troubling you, then it's a relief," Akashi said, his voice happier than it was when he started the phone call.

"If you wish to know more about me, then come with me,"

"Eh?" Was all Furihata could say.

"Come with me. To Kyoto,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry I was late in uploading this chapter. But I was fighting a case of writer's block XD and struggling to write my akafuri contest fic XD I also lost this chapter and had to re-type it so if you spot any mistakes plz let me know. This was a VERY long chapter XD Hopefully it wasn't boring  
> SO  
> Aomine and Momoi join the gang ho ho ho ~  
> what will happen to our unfortunate duo during that trip :3 ?  
> But really guys I can't thank you enough for all your kind comments and for the 100 kudos, it's what keeps me motivated~  
> Thank you for reading, any feedback is appreciated ~


	6. A trip to Kyoto

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another long chapter XD  
> Thank you for the Kudos/comments/bookmarks, you guys are the best  
> hopefully you'll enjoy this chapter as well ~

_“One knows so little. When one knows more it is too late.”_

**Chapter 6**

“Do you have everything you need? Made sure you didn’t forget anything?” Kasamatsu asked frantically while handing the bags to the brunet boarding the train.

Furihata nodded for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. His brother hadn’t stopped asking him questions about his trip’s schedule and the like since early this morning. This was the first time he’d ever gone someplace this far without Kasamatsu and he could understand his brother’s worry, but he was sure he was going to miss his train if Kasamatsu didn’t stop.

“Senpai, he really should be going by now. The train will leave,” Kise said, placing a hand on Kasamatsu’s shoulder.

Kasamatsu sighed and backed away from the platform, finally allowing Furihata to board without further questioning. This was one of the times he was glad Kise was friends with his brother. 

Kise and Kasamatsu waved goodbye as the train finally departed. Kasamatsu’s shoulders slumped as he kept staring in the direction the train left.

Kise’s eyes caught a glimpse of green hair moving in the crowds of people and smirked. He turned to Kasamatsu who was still staring into the horizon and engulfed him in a tight hug, catching him by surprise.

“Oi, what are you doing?!” Kasamatsu asked, trying to pry Kise’s arms form around his shoulders.

“You don’t have to be so lonely, Senpai! I’ll spend every second until Furihatacchi’s return with you!” Kise said, in his usual cheerful tone.

“Who’d want that?!” Kasamatsu groaned, but made no move to push Kise away as the two started walking in the direction of the entrance.

*

Midorima opened the door to his room and took his sunglasses off, replacing them with his usual glasses. He placed Kerosuke, a green frog and today’s lucky item on his desk before pulling the chair and sitting down, probing his chin on the back of his hands, still unaware of the presence in his room.

“Are you ignoring me, Shin-chan?”

Midorima’s head turned to the direction of the bed to find Takao sitting on it, with his legs crossed, fixing him with an unimpressed look. Midorima hadn’t really seen him when he first entered the room. Just how much were his thoughts preoccupied?

“Takao?” He asked in a slightly confused tone. “How did you get in here?”

The dark haired male shrugged and pointed in the direction of the small balcony connected to the bedroom through glass doors. Midorima glared.

“You could have waited for me to get home and entered the house in a civilized way,” He scoffed, but Takao didn’t seem affected by his seemingly harsh words, instead he chuckled.

“Says the guy who usually _flies_ to places,” He said, teasingly. Midorima turned his head to avoid Takao’s grey eyes looking into his and pushed his glasses further up his nose, which was a gesture Takao recognized as one of embarrassment.  

“I d-don’t do that all the time!” Midorima said, rather defensively. “In anyway, jumping from one balcony to another is dangerous!”

Takao’s expression took on a clear teasing one which made Midorima even more flustered.

“Is that the real reason then? Shin-chan’s worried about me?” Takao said getting up from the bed and walking to where Midorima was sitting. “If I ever get hurt, I could always come to you, Mi-do-ri-ma-se-n-sei,”

But the flustered and embarrassed reaction Takao had hoped to get out of Midorima didn’t come. Instead Midorima looked straight at him, his green eyes glinting angrily. Takao’s heart skipped a beat at Midorima’s expression.

“Don’t even joke about getting hurt,” He said, his eyes narrowing at Takao.

“O-okay okay! I’m sorry,” Takao said and left his hands in front of him, only then does Midorima’s eyes attain their usual softness.

“So, did you see the two of them of?” Takao asked after a few moments of silence. Midorima nodded. “You sure you don’t want to follow them?”

“Yes,” Midorima said. “There are people over there who would keep an eye on the both of them,” Even though he said that, his face twisted with worry.

Takao heaved a sigh. “Then, why are you so nervous about this trip?”

Midorima lowered his head, his green bangs hiding his expression from Takao’s eyes.

“It’s the place where everything began,”

Takao wished he could ease the burden from Midorima somehow, but he couldn’t even remotely pretend to understand the real deal of what was happening. So offering any useful information on the matter or any of the like would be impossible to him. But, there was something he could do, that could stop Midorima from over thinking…

Takao sat on the desk, and took off Midorima’s glasses for him in a swift move. Midorima who was surprised by the action turned to look at him, eyes squinting in order to get better focus of Takao’s face.

“What are you doing?” Midorima groaned. Takao only lowered himself closer, so Midorima could see the haughty grin and his glazed eyes.

“What does it look like I’m doing?” Takao said, placing Midorima’s glasses on the desk with care. “I’m distracting you,”

Takao leaned in, capturing Midorima’s lips in his, stopping any potential protest from leaving Midorima’s mouth.

Not that he really was against the idea.

*

Furihata sighed as he sat down in his seat across from Akashi, who looked invested in the book he was holding between his hands.

He was surprised when Akashi had suggested going on a trip with him to Kyoto during the school’s winter break. The redhead had explained it was the perfect opportunity for asking his grandmother about further information concerning the curse, as well as a good chance for him to learn more of Akashi’s life and continue their earlier talk without interruptions.

Somehow, Furihata knew (or wished) it was about the second personality thing Akashi’s father had mentioned the day of the party.

Well, if anything he’d already learned he and Akashi shared the love of books.

“Your brother worries excessively,” Akashi said, not raising his head from the pages of his book. “I’m surprised he’d allowed you to accompany me,”

Furihata cringed a bit at the memory of Kasamatsu’s initial rejection. “He was really against it. But, I’ve worked together with Kise-san to convince him,”

Even if Kasamatsu would never admit it, he’d always had a soft spot for the blonde. Somewhere along the way of their relationship, he became weak against the persistent Kise. Of course, Kise was quick to take advantage of that and normally got Kasamatsu to agree to his every whim. Even Furihata wasn’t that lucky. Furihata always suspected that their feelings went deeper than the senpai-Kouhai relationship they claimed to have. But, his suspicions were neither proven right nor wrong.

“It’s understandable. Given he’s your legal guardian after your parent’s death,” Akashi said.

Furihata nodded once, then abruptly stopped and stared at Akashi who was still reading into his book. Upon sensing Furihata’s eyes on him, he lifted his head to meet the wide-eyed Furihata with a confused stare of his own.

“Is there anything wrong?” He asked, raising an eyebrow.

“How did you know? I never told you about my family situation before,”

Akashi closed his book and placed it to the side while looking at Furihata, as if he was debating on whether to answer his question or not. He finally crossed his arms in front of his chest and sighed.

“My grandmother only ever told me your name. I hired a private investigator to find you,” He said in a calm voice. “How else did you think I got to know where you went to work the first time we met?”

Furihata looked at him in disbelief, flabbergasted at the calmness in his voice. Like Momoi who admitted she’d been watching his every move; Akashi, too, had him on surveillance for who-knows how long. His first impression of Akashi as a stalker wasn’t completely wrong after all, only now he knew he was a rich stalker instead. After all that’s happened, he really shouldn’t be so surprised.

“I-I don’t believe you!” Furihata said, running his fingers through his hair, “That’s ridiculous!”

Akashi chuckled as he picked up his book, which caused Furihata to become even more flustered.

“Oh, Furihata, after this trip is over, you’ll discover quite a few things about the Akashi family, that are, indeed, _ridiculous_.”

Furihata just stared at him as Akashi turned to the page he was reading earlier.

He…wasn’t going to regret this, right?

*

The screech of the tires as the train stopped jolted Furihata out of his sleep. Sometime along the way, he’d fallen asleep, probably while reading the book he’d brought with him. He slowly blinked his eyes, trying to adjust to the sudden light.

“Are you awake?”

He heard Akashi’s voice, which sounded, oddly, really close. He lifted his head in the direction of the voice and was staring directly into a pair of red eyes. He quickly raised himself, realizing he’d been using Akashi’s lap as a makeshift pillow. He was sure they were seated opposite to each other, so how come he’d woken up in this arrangement?

His heart was racing.

“You were leaning on the window in your sleep. I hardly thought it was comfortable,” Akashi said, sensing Furihata’s inner turmoil.

“Y-you didn’t have to lend me your lap!” He retaliated.

“But letting you borrow my shoulder would’ve equally been as uncomfortable,”

Sometimes, Furihata wondered if Akashi’s cluelessness was only an act and that he was secretly messing with him on purpose. But, Furihata knew it was impossible since Akashi really was clueless about Furihata’s growing feelings towards him. He’d only wished his heart would stop beating so fast.

“T-thank you,” He said as a faint blush appeared on his cheeks. Akashi smiled at him.

“It was nothing,”

And the two grabbed their bags from the overhead compartments and got off the train.

“Akashi-kun, Furi-chan!”

They saw Momoi waving at them the minute they stepped on the platform. She ran in their direction and trapped the brunet in a bone-crushing hug. Furihata was expecting it this time, so it was easier to steady his footing.

“Hey, Momoi-san. It’s been a while,” He said, awkwardly scratching the back of his head, all the while trying to ignore Aomine’s glares.

“Oi, Satsuki! We’re going to be late!” Aomine yelled, stomping his feet impatiently.

Momoi smiled inwardly to herself. She was the one to always remind him of his appointments and yet when it came to hers he’d be the one urging her to hurry. She detached herself from Furihata and ran back and walked beside Aomine, who began to walk in an unhurried pace to match her own.

Furihata smiled at the two. As different as they were from each other, the two did make a cute couple. He unconsciously turned to look at Akashi who, too, was staring at the duo with a fond look on his face. He and Akashi were different from one another, that was for sure…Furihata shook his head, not wanting to think about the many _maybes_ and _ifs_. This was simply not the time.

The ride back to the Akashi manor was quite. Furihata watched the scenery change as the car left the busy city streets to much quieter neighborhoods and narrower streets. It wasn’t long before his entire view was obstructed by tall pine trees. After twenty more minutes, the car stopped in front of a huge wooden gate, the name ‘Akashi’ carved in elegant writing into one of the wooden plates.

Akashi and Furihata exited the car, but Aomine and Momoi made no move to follow them. Momoi smiled as she informed them she was needed for an important meeting with a client along with Akashi’s father and that they may be away on business for a few days. Akashi nodded in understanding, thanking her for her hard work with his father before he and Furihata were escorted by the waiting staff inside the house.

“Is this really ok?” Aomine asked, just as the two disappeared behind the closed gate.

Momoi’s lips twitched into a sad smile as she looked down at her lap before nodding softly.

“It’s not like we don’t already know the story they’re going to hear,”

*

It seemed Furihata had underestimated just how wealthy and powerful the Akashi family was.

The brunet stared in awe as he walked through the well maintained gardens and several traditional Japanese houses. Apparently, the Kyoto residence was a compound of many traditionally built homes, housing different members of the Akashi family. Not everyone chose to remain in Kyoto though, but being the reserved family it was, still a good number of Akashi’s relatives lived in there.

Akashi’s grandmother resided in the oldest and biggest house. It was the Akashi family’s main house where family gatherings took place. And upon entering, Furihata felt he was suddenly in a different era; especially that the staff was also dressed in Kimonos.

The two were escorted down a long hallway, only to stop in front of one of the rooms. The young lady opened the door to the room, announcing it was ‘Furihata-sama’s’. The suffix felt foreign to Furihata as he wasn’t used to being addressed with such formality.

“My room is a couple of doors away, if there’s anything you require, let me know.” Akashi said, and then left the room with the maid to allow Furihata to rest after the long journey.

Furihata entered the room and put his bags down on the floor. The room was spacious, but was relatively empty. The only furniture was the low table set in the middle of the room and the closet where the futons and pillows were stored.

But, it was the faint sound of water that caught Furihata’s attention. He opened the paper doors and stepped on the outside patio and gasped at the scene before him. Behind the house was a traditional japanese garden. Unlike the other gardens he’s seen which had a bit of a western influence, this one was purely japanese complimenting the traditional architecture of the main house.

The source of the sound Furihata heard, was a small waterfall streaming into a big pond.

The air was cleaner than Tokyo’s, but was still equally cold, it was winter after all. Furihata hugged his arms in an attempt to warm up even if just a little as a chill ran through his body. The garden felt eerily familiar, not that he knew why. He’s never been to this house before or to Kyoto for that matter, still a part of his mind nudged at him, convinced otherwise.

Furihata kept wandering further and further into the vast terrain, until his legs stopped at a well. It was clearly an old one, one they didn’t use in years. The stones were covered in green mold, the wood was mostly rotten and there was no bucket attached at the end of the rope. Yet, Furihata found himself peering down the well’s opening.

_“Be careful!”_

Startled, Furihata whipped his head in the direction of the faint voice he’d heard, but found nothing. He placed a hand over his heart, willing his fast-beating heart to calm down.

_“Akashi, you shouldn’t!”_

At the mention of Akashi’s name, he turned around once again, searching for the source of the voice. This time, his eyes caught a young boy with brown hair, underdressed for the weather in only his green yukata. The boy was running straight in Furihata’s direction, but made no move to stop; instead he went right through Furihata’s body as if he was thin air, leaving Furihata stoned in place, unable to comprehend what was happening.

Furihata slowly turned around. The boy stopped and bent down, placing his hands on his knees, panting. He drew in a deep breath before looking up at another boy struggling to climb the, now, clean and functioning well. The boy looked strangely like a smaller version of Akashi, only his eyes were of different colors, one red and one golden, just like those eyes Furihata has seen on Akashi a few times before.

_“You worry too much, Kouki. I can handle this,” The younger Akashi said, as he finally sat on the edge of the well._

_“You’re going to fall! Please come down!” Kouki said, frantically, trying to convince the young boy._

Furihata stared at the scene with wide eyes and a parted mouth. He was convinced his mind was playing tricks on him, or else how was he to explain what was unfolding before his eyes?  
He silently continued to watch _Akashi_ as he threw the bucket into the water, then started pulling on the rope, but with clear tussle. Everything was seemingly ok until his small hands let go of the rope, suddenly, losing his balance in the process.

Furihata found himself moving forward to try and grab the boy. But there was no real need to, as the boy was now floating.

He was floating above the opening of the well, surrounded by a white aura.

Furihata instantly paled.

_Akashi_ frowned as he was placed down. Furihata looked in the direction of _Kouki_ and saw his hands had the same white glow around them; it disappeared though the minute _Akashi’s_ feet hit the ground. _Kouki_ breathed a sigh of relief and walked to Akashi and took his small hand in his own. The frown previously present on _Akashi’s_ face was replaced by a small smile as he gazed at _Kouki_ , fondly.

_“I told you this was going to happen! Let’s go ask for help!” Kouki pouted as he dragged Akashi by his hand, the redhead only sighed but didn’t protest and followed Kouki willingly._

Furihata stood, staring at the direction the two figures disappeared at, still puzzled and unsure of what exactly had happened. He’d just seen younger versions of him and Akashi trying to get water out of the well, which was now back to its previous state. And there was _floating!_ He ruffled his hair, desperate in making sense of anything going through his head.

“Woof, woof,”

Furihata jolted out of his thoughts at the sound of barking. A small husky puppy looked up at him, happily wagging his tail. Furihata eyed the dog, unsure if it was another hallucination. But, when he bent down to bet the dog’s head, he was glad his hands touched real fur and didn’t just go through its body. His body relaxed as he continued to rub the dog’s belly who kept barking enthusiastically at the attention he was getting.

“You’re good with dogs,”

Furihata nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard the small voice. His hand clutched to his shirt, right where his heart was. It seemed everything in this house wanted to give Furihata a heart attack! The small dog whined at the loss of the hand rubbing his belly, but quickly recovered upon noticing the guy standing before him. Furihata watched as the puppy jumped into the guy’s hands and started licking his face.

So, at least the mystery man was no ghost since he could hold the dog, but Furihata had to admit that he looked like one. His skin was pale and he was dressed in a light blue Kimono, almost the same shade as his hair. His equally blue eyes were void of any emotion, or at least they seemed this way, as he stared at Furihata from head to toe.

“Nigou is not friendly to just anyone. You must be kind to animals,” He said with a hint of a smile in his voice.

Furihata only laughed sheepishly, uncertain about how to respond to the normal conversation he was pulled into.

“Oi, Kuroko!” A gruff voice called. The guy in blue, apparently called Kuroko, turned to look in the direction of the running man who called his name. Furihata followed his movement.

“Warn people when you just vanish like this! Jeez,” The man said between pants as he caught up to where they were standing.

“Nigou needed to go outside,” Kuroko said. “Also, I’m not a kid, Kagami-kun, I can take care of myself,” he added with a small pout.

The name sounded familiar to Furihata as did the dual red and black hair and well-built form hid behind the fabric of the gray striped Kimono. His eyes widened in recognition as he realized Kagami-kun was _that_ Kagami he’d met at Akashi’s party. Now that he thought about it, Kagami did mention he worked at the main house.

“It’s been a while, Kagami-san!” Furihata said with a grin, drawing the attention to himself. Kagami stared at him for a while before he let out a small ‘oh’ upon remembering.

“You’re Furihata right? How’s everything been going?” Kagami asked, returning Furihata’s grin with one of his own.

“Everything’s fine! No more falling chandeliers!” Furihata said with a chuckle. Kagami laughed.

“So you’re the guest coming in today, huh? I didn’t expect seeing you again,” Kagami asked and Furihata nodded.

“You two know each other?”

Both guys jumped at Kuroko’s question. They were so into their conversation that Furihata forgot he was even there for a second, just how much of a low presence does this guy have?

“Don’t go getting any ideas in your head!” Kagami suddenly shouted at the blue haired guy, whose facial expressions were as deadpanned as when Furihata first saw him.

“I didn’t say anything, Kagami-kun,”

“You don’t have to for me to understand what goes into that head of yours,” Kagami said with a sigh, as he lightly hit Kuroko’s head. “That’s Furihata Kouki; he’s the one accompanying Akashi. I met him at Akashi’s birthday party last month,”

Kuroko’s attention shifted from massaging his abused head to staring at Furihata, only now his eyes had a glint of curiosity in them. He lowered Nigou to the ground and looked at Furihata, his expression schooled once again to its usual composure.

“I’m Kuroko Tetsuya, Akashi-kun’s cousin. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Furihata-kun,” Kuroko, formally, introduced himself with a bow.

Furihata returned the bow, fretfully, startled at Kuroko’s formal introduction. “I’m Furihata Kouki, It’s nice meeting you too,”

Kuroko didn’t say anything further though and continued to stare at Furihata, who was growing more anxious under Kuroko’s intense stare.

“Furihata-kun,”

“Yes!” He said louder than he’d intended.

“You need to change clothes,”

*

Furihata tugged at the hem of his green Kimono, uncomfortably, as he wasn’t used to wearing such clothes. Kuroko had instructed one of the maids to bring him the piece of clothing and insisted Furihata change into it. It did feel a bit _airy_ , especially bellow his waist, but the fabric felt nice on his skin.

The maid escorting him to the living room opened the door for him, before bowing and leaving. Inside, Akashi, alongside Kuroko and Kagami were sitting around the table in the middle. Furihata hurriedly made his way into the room and took his seat beside Akashi.

“It suits you,” Akashi said with a smile when Furihata settled next to him.

Furihata tugged onto a strand of his hair, nervously, as his cheeks were painted in a light pink hue. “K-kuroko was the one insisting on it, y-you look nice as well,” He said, stuttering through his statement. But who can blame him when he was looking at Akashi wearing his red robe, looking like he’d stepped outside of a history book. The color really fitted Akashi.

“It’s actually my grandmother’s dress code. Western styled clothes are forbidden in this house,” Akashi explained with a chuckle.

Furihata nodded, understanding.

Kuroko poured him a glass of tea then pushed it gently in his direction. Furihata sipped on the tea Kuroko had served for him and relished in the taste of the green tea and felt his insides warming up a bit as he drank the hot beverage.

“Kagami-kun, please sit properly,” Kuroko said, looking at Kagami with a slight pout.

“Huh? This isn’t a tea ceremony, so why should I?” Kagami retaliated, still sitting down with his legs crossed.

“Even so, it wouldn’t hurt to respect tradition,” Kuroko said, now clearly pouting, while folding his arms in front of his chest.

Furihata couldn’t help but stare at the duo. He knew it wasn't the deal with those two, but their interactions reminded him of those of his aunt when she used to nag at his uncle to do something right. The air around them reminded him of that of an old married couple.

Thankfully, their bickering is interrupted by the ringing of Kagami’s phone. The redhead took his cell phone out of his Haori’s hidden pocket, pressed a button and held the phone near his ear. The other three couldn’t hear what the one on the other line was saying, but from the irritated expression on Kagami’s face, they could tell it was serious.

“-I got it, I’ll be right there,” Kagami said and closed his phone, heaving a big sigh.

“What’s the situation?” Akashi asked, placing his cup on tea on the table.

“There was a security breach in the main branch. Those incompetent idiots! I’ll need to go clean up the mess,” Kagami said, running his hand through his hair.

He then looked at Kuroko, his eyes softened as he stared into Kuroko’s blue ones. Kagami’s fingers unconsciously ran through Kuroko’s hair, causing him to smile faintly at the redhead.

“I’ll be fine. Kagami-kun worries too much,”

“I know I know. I just can’t help it,”

The hand threading through Kuroko’s tresses ruffled his hair instead, then slid lower alongside his face to cup his cheek. The two never broke eye contact with one another and they slowly, ever so naturally, started leaning in, their eyes closing halfway through.

“Ahem,” Akashi cleared his throat.

Kagami and Kuroko quickly broke away and avoided each other’s gazes. They had completely forgotten there were still people in the room, one who was a guest and was completely clueless to their relationship. One glance at Furihata and they could see him hiding his face behind his hands, but it was clear that the brunet was blushing. Kagami stood up and bid everyone goodbye before, hastily, leaving the room.

“I see the two of you haven’t changed,” At Akashi’s remark, Kuroko coughed awkwardly, his cheeks tainted a little pink.

A rattling sound directs their attention to the door. An old woman wearing a dark blue Kimono entered the room, wearing a warm smile on her face. Akashi immediately stood up and walked up to her and bowed respectfully before taking her hand in his and planting a kiss on her wrinkled skin. She chuckled softly.

“My, Seijuurou-kun, I see living in Tokyo didn’t lose you your manners,” She said as she took her seat beside Kuroko.

“I apologize for not visiting sooner, I-“ She cut him off.

“There’s no need for you to apologize. My son is the one to blame after all. I’m glad to see you’re well,” She said, the smile never leaving her face. Akashi relaxed back into his seat.

Her soft blue eye then turned to look at the brunet sitting next to him. “I suppose you’re Furihata-kun, correct?”

Furihata could only nod. She was oozing elegance and refinement, her aura was similar to that of Akashi’s and even though her hair was white and her face was now full of wrinkles, Furihata could tell by the shape of her jaw and lean features that she must have been a beautiful lady in her early days, not that her obvious warm personality wasn’t beautiful enough.

“I assume the two of you are here because of the curse?” She asked, her eyes darkening a bit. Akashi and Furihata nodded.

“I kinda understand the idea of it, but can’t see why it is me and Akashi that are bound to it. Akashi did mention something about a binding contract, would you explain it further?” Furihata spoke. 

“I told Tetsuya-kun the story many times before, but only wished to tell you when you have found each other as it’s something that concerns you both,” She said. The two before her stared at her intently, set on absorbing every word she says.

“The Furihata family comes from a long line of priests. They governed a Temple here in Kyoto for hundreds of years. Someone from each generation though, is chosen to be the guardian of fortune, one capable of bringing people good fortune. The last of the Furihata clan to possess such powers was one by the name of Furihata Kouki, that is your ancestor Furihata-kun,” She paused and looked at Furihata.

Furihata’s jaw hung open. He was still trying to process that his family were supposedly priests who governed a temple for years, but to be blessed by good fortune when he’s clearly been haunted by nothing but bad luck since the past two months was just ridiculous!

He must have said that out loud, because Akashi’s grandmother started chuckling.

“You’ll understand after I’m done telling the story,” She laughed some more before recomposing herself. “As I was saying, the young guardian is trained to use his powers since a young age. The noble families of Kyoto at the time often sent their heirs to the shrine to further their education and discipline. The Akashi family was one of those,”

“Even though they resided in the same place, the young priest wasn’t allowed contact with any people of the outside world. And this is where our story begins…” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nothing much happened here lol XD  
> So what are your thoughts and theories before you get to know the real story? :3  
> Thank you for your continues support, you guys are my muse for writing ~  
> The Haori is a jacket-like piece of clothing wore above a kimono or a yukata for further warmth.  
> Don't worry, I'll be explaining the origin of the side pairings in separate one shots after the end of the main story


	7. Story of the past: Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the lovely comments and Kudos ~ you guys always make my day.  
> I hope you'll enjoy this one :3

_"Curiosity is, in great and generous minds, the first passion and the last."_

**Chapter 7**

The first time Furihata learned about the kids living in the temple, he couldn’t help but be interested. He'd lived his ten years of age surrounded by adults, consisting of his parents and teachers, so the idea of having other people around his age fascinated him and sparked the curiosity within him.

His father, the current head priest, had warned him about leaving his personal quarters. Not that Furihata understood why, he always obeyed nonetheless. But, it couldn't possibly hurt to take a look from afar, could it? His father usually played shogi at this time of the day with the rest of staff, which would make sneaking out a lot easier. He should be safe if he's back within the hour.

Furihata carefully left his room and ran in the direction of the stairs, stealthily, still wary of any of the staff who might have skipped the shogi matches. He descended down the stairs and could only breathe a sigh of relief when he entered the forest separating the main dojo from his more secluded one.

He wandered through the routes of the dense forest he had memorized like the back of his hands. Nearing the end of the forest, the ringing sound of laughter reached his ears, a sound he was not quite used to hear. He leaned behind a tree trunk, clutching it with his small hands and took a peak at the garden behind the dojo. Around ten kids were running around, giggling as another tall kid tried to catch them. Their eyes were sparkling with pure joy.

It was the first time he'd heard so much laughing. The atmosphere around him always felt so serious, so _suffocating_ as he was being taught about his duties day in and day out, not allowed any spare moments of leisure, not allowed to leave the confines of the smaller temple located on the top of the hill. He never felt he was part of a family; he was only there because he was born with the power of the guardian of fortune.

Those kids before him probably had loving, warm families. They could visit the town he'd heard his parents talk about once all the time. They weren’t imprisoned in their own home.

They probably never knew what it meant to be alone...

They simply lived in a different world than his...

The more Furihata stared at them, the sadder he felt. He didn't know what he wanted to accomplish coming here; after all, he wasn't allowed to join them or even talk to them. Maybe the whole idea had been a mistake. He slowly backed away from the tree hiding his form and started retreating towards the forest. That is when his eyes caught sight of someone sitting inside the dojo near the open windows.

Unlike the others who were playing around, he sat silently in the classroom and practiced his calligraphy on a piece of parchment. Furihata found himself entranced by the neat strokes of his brush and wondered for a moment on how could a kid, same age as he was, be this... _captivating_ , moving his brush so elegantly. Furihata stuck to his hiding spot for a little while longer, watching the redhead with sparked interest.

The boy though, abruptly, stopped writing and turned to look in the direction Furihata stood, as if sensing he was being watched. Furihata quickly ducked further behind the tree and stilled his breath, even though he knew he couldn't be heard from such a distance. Finally, the redhead resumed the task in his hands and Furihata took this chance to run back to the temple as to not get caught.

Last thing he saw, were the boy's mismatched eyes of red and yellow.

*

His name was Akashi Seijuurou.

Eldest son and heir of the Akashi family his parents always talked about.

After a few days of observation, Furihata came to know Akashi always seemed to be alone. Furihata usually snuck out during break time every day, yet Akashi would either be doing calligraphy or practicing tea ceremony. Other days, he would have a book with him and would read it for the reminder of the break.

Furihata just couldn't understand. When he was surrounded by so many other people he could play with, he didn't know why he chose to be alone. The other kids, too, seemed to avoid him and the teachers tried to ignore him as well. They almost seemed _scared_ of him.

"He just looked at me again!" Furihata heard one of the teachers say.

"His eyes are so scary! Just like a demon's," The other one whispered into his ear.

Akashi, suddenly, stood up, taking them by surprise, and strolled in the direction of the woods. The two adults scrambled out of his way and Furihata hid himself further to not be discovered. Akashi looked upset as he passed him, his left eye gleaming with anger. Furihata shivered.

He'd expected the teachers to go after him, but they turned away and faced the other kids instructing them to return to the classroom. Furihata looked, worriedly, in the direction Akashi went. He couldn't deny Akashi did scare him a bit, but he just couldn't ignore him going off like this on his own. The forest was big and it was easy to get lost in, if you didn't know your way. His hand gripped on the hem of his yukata, and with new found determination, he followed Akashi into the forest.

Furihata tried to make as little noise as possible as he followed the redhead, keeping a reasonable distance between them. Akashi seemed to know where he was going, which was strange, given entering the forest was prohibited to anyone from outside his family. Now that he thought about it, it was weird the teachers even let Akashi into the woods in the first place. They'd be in for a scolding if his father was ever to find out.

Furihata had the forest memorized by heart. It was his only entertainment after all, walking through it at night and lying down on the grass to gaze up at the twinkling stars, so he knew Akashi was walking towards a clearing. His assumption was proven right, when the redhead stepped into it. It was a small area surrounded by tall pine trees and had a small waterfall pouring into a crystal-clear lake.

Any other day, Furihata would have admired the scenery, but right now he only hid himself behind the bushes and watched as the red head started throwing pebbles into the lake, frustratingly. He gave up after a while and just stood there staring in the horizon, the angry expression melting into a pained one, as he sat at the edge of the lake with a hump.

Furihata had heard the teachers call Akashi a demon child a couple of times before. Sometimes, they’d say it’s his red hair, other times it was his dichromatic eyes, most of the times it’s a combination of the two that lured them into the conclusion. They wondered if it was safe for Akashi to be even in the temple, to be near other people. It’s their attitude towards him that probably drove the other kids away.

Akashi never seemed affected by their words. Before today, he’d always ignore their remarks and carry on with what he was doing.

But, of course Akashi was affected! Furihata thought as he took on Akashi’s form. He was but a child after all. If Furihata was ever bullied and shunned away like this, he was sure he would cry. Akashi wasn’t crying, he was only staring ahead, his hands clutching the fabric of his clothes.

He wasn’t crying, but he certainly looked like he was about to.

*

Akashi started skipping his classes.

Whenever Furihata snuck out to the same place, he’d see all the other kids still playing around, all but one. Akashi would be missing from his usual spot by the windows and even long after the short break ended and everyone shuffled back inside, he wouldn’t show up. Furihata couldn’t help the worry rising in his chest.

His legs carried him down the familiar trail towards the clearing. His eyes scanned the area from his place behind the bushes and stopped when they spotted the redhead sitting on a tree branch, a book in his hands. He looked as calm and absorbed in his reading as the first time Furihata had seen him practicing his calligraphy.

And like that time, Akashi abruptly stopped his reading and turned his gaze in Furihata’s direction. Furihata almost squeaked and ducked, trying to further conceal himself, but Akashi had already noticed him.

“Who’s there?” Akashi said as his eyes glared at Furihata’s hiding place. “Show yourself,”

Furihata glanced at Akashi through the gaps between branches. Convinced that if he waited in silence then Akashi would give up looking his way and return to his book. But luck wasn’t on his side today for, instead, Akashi stood up, his hand leaning on the trunk for balance and his eyes never breaking contact from the few shrubs that separated them. Furihata broke in cold sweat.

But as Akashi was trying to climb his way down the tree, his foot slipped and his hands let go of the trunk he was once gripping.

“Akashi-kun!!”

Furihata’s body moved on his own and before he knew it, he was out from behind the bushes, his hand glowing white; the same color surrounding Akashi’s floating form.

Akashi’s eyes slowly opened as his feet touched the ground. He scanned the area briefly before coming across Furihata standing not too far away from where he stood. The two stared at each other in silence, until Furihata’s mind caught up with the situation and he let out a squeak as he rushed to hide behind a close-by tree. But it was already too late, he had been seen.

“I can still see you, you know,” Akashi stated.

Furihata tensed and peeked from behind the tree. He was shaking, mostly because he had never spoken to someone outside his family and teachers before, but now he stood before the boy he had been secretly watching for a little over a week now. It didn’t help that Akashi was fixing him with a cold look too.

“You…you are the infamous guardian of fortune, aren’t you?”

Furihata knew he wasn’t asking, but looking to confirm what he already believed. Furihata nodded at him, hesitantly.

“You shouldn’t be here. Go back,” Akashi said and turned his back to Furihata and started walking back to the lake.

Furihata wanted to leave and hurry back to the temple before anyone found out he had snuck out, he really wanted to, but for some reason, he wasn’t able to bring himself to leave while Akashi still stood there, alone. He took a deep breath and let go of the tree he was hugging so tightly and walked in Akashi’s direction in small steps.

“A-Akashi-kun!” He called and hoped his voice was loud enough for the other to hear.

Akashi stopped in his track and turned to look at Furihata, expression momentarily surprised as he wasn’t expecting the brunet to actually talk to him. It was forbidden to even meet him, let alone speak to him.

“Aren’t you g-going back?” Furihata’s hands were trembling as he spoke, but he looked at Akashi directly in the eyes. Those dichromatic eyes darkened for a moment, before Akashi averted them elsewhere, his long bangs preventing Furihata from knowing his exact expression.

“I won’t go back there. I’m unwanted, anyway,”

Furihata’s mouth parted, but no words left his mouth as he was unsure of what to say. Going back meant that Akashi had to deal with the awful treatment of the teachers; he would probably spend all his time by himself like he’d been doing before. Furihata didn’t want him to go back to that kind of atmosphere, but he knew staying away in the forest alone wasn’t a good idea either.

“You’ll get in trouble if they find you here,” Akashi’s voice jolted him out of his inner thoughts. “Especially if they knew you’ve been with a demon such as myself,” His voice was barely above a whisper by the end of the sentence.

This was wrong! Furihata’s body was shaking again, this time with anger; anger at the teachers who were spewing nonsense, anger at the other kids who went along and ignored him. But most importantly, he was angry with his own hesitant, useless self who only kept watching from afar.

“You’re wrong!!” Furihata’s voice was louder than anytime he’d heard himself speak. “Akashi-kun is not a demon!”

Akashi looked at him, utter astonishment clear on his face. He blinked at Furihata before regaining his usual composed expression.

“What makes you so sure? Everyone’s been saying so,”

“Eh?” Furihata titles his head to the side as he looked at Akashi, confused. He was clearly not expecting to be asked to explain. “Demons won’t be able to enter this forest, I place talisman on the trees every morning,” Furihata said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“I could be a special kind of demon that can bypass your charms,” Akashi said, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

Why did it feel like Akashi was taking this as a challenge? Did he truly believe in the words of those stupid teachers?

Furihata stomped towards Akashi; his cheeks puffed in irritation and took Akashi’s face between his palms. Akashi blinked at him, surprised by the sudden action.

“I’ve been watching Akashi-kun for a while now, so I know,” He said, but before Akashi could say anything he added, “Besides, Akashi-kun is too b-beautiful to be a demon. It’ll be such a waste,” Furihata said with a grin, his cheeks a little rosy.

Akashi’s shoulders started vibrating uncontrollably as he clutched to his sides while laughing. His giggles didn’t sound like any others Furihata had heard, it was a melodic sound of sheer joy, but he probably felt this way because this was the first time he heard Akashi laugh.

“What kind of reason is this?” Akashi said between giggles.

“I-I was being honest! Stop laughing!” Furihata said, flailing his arms in front of Akashi.

But, in all truth, he wished Akashi would never stop.

*

“You know, Sei. You might actually make more friends if you smile more,”

Akashi lifted his head from his book to look at Furihata who was jumping on the rocks surrounding the lake. He heaved a sigh and resumed his reading.

“I don’t need any more friends, Kouki,” He simply said. Furihata shook his head disapprovingly.

The two meet up during break or after Akashi completed his classes for the day, now that the Akashi attended his regularly. After months in falling into this routine, they’d had become quite close and often spend their time reading or playing around, other times they’d be content just sitting near the lake, dipping their feet in the cold water and enjoying each other’s company.

Furihata thought it was such a waste. Akashi had all those people around him, who now weren’t avoiding him like they used to be. Akashi excelled in his studies and always performed his duties without complain, this earned him the respect and admiration of the others and the teachers stopped their unfound accusations and actually took notice of Akashi’s hard work.

The fact that Akashi didn’t glare all the time anymore could be one of the reasons too.

“But there are games you can’t play unless there are many people,” Furihata said with a sigh as he jumped on another rock.

“Kouki, get down, you might hurt yourself if you fall,” Akashi said, worriedly, ignoring Furihata’s statement.

“Don’t worry, Sei! I got this!” He said as he happily jumped on another rock. But this time, his foot slipped and he fell into the water.

“Kouki!” Akashi quickly got up and rushed to the edge of the lake. “Kouki? Can you hear me?”

The sound of snickers made Akashi look up and he found Kouki floating near him, his clothes dripping wet. Akashi sighed, after momentarily glaring at Kouki, and sat back down, grabbing his book.

“You’re really a handful,”

*

Furihata tucked at his hori as he further ran into the forest. It had snowed all day yesterday, and so he wasn’t able to go to their regular meeting place. Akashi wasn’t in the clearing when he checked it out earlier, so it must mean he’s down in the main dojo.

The garden was empty of any soul, which Furihata had expected since the weather was cold. His eyes darted to the window Akashi used to sit near, but instead of finding him sitting alone as usual, he was with another boy with green hair. Both were focusing on the shogi board between them.

Furihata leaned against the tree, a weird foreign sensation making its way through his heart as he watched Akashi play with the new unknown kid.

As if possessing a sixth sense for when Furihata was near, Akashi looked his way and their eyes locked, a small smile played on Akashi’s lips as he stood up, excused himself and made his way outside the door to where Furihata was standing.

“Kouki, you came,” He said, the smile never leaving his face.

“You…you get along with them now?” Furihata breathed out in a sad tone.

Furihata clasped his hands over his mouth, regretting the question that left his mouth. He was the one who always urged Akashi to better get along with the other kids. But something about Akashi actually listening to his advice didn’t settle well within him, even though he didn’t know exactly why.

Akashi only raised a brow at Furihata’s question. “…Yes, Shintarou is quite a challenge in shogi,”

“I-I see,” Furihata stuttered and lowered his head down. He should be happy about this, he really should, and yet…

“Kouki…Are you perhaps jealous?” Akashi inquired with a smirk on his face. Furihata’s face flushed instantly as the weird sensation he was feeling was finally identified.

“No! Y-you’re wrong!” He said flailing his hands in front of Akashi. Akashi couldn’t help but chuckle which made the redness of Furihata’s cheeks only darken in color.

Akashi’s giggles stopped and he stretched his hand to Furihata, a kind smile on his face. “Come, I’ll introduce you to them,”

Furihata unconsciously took a step backwards as he stared at Akashi’s hand. He and Akashi had been friends for almost a year now, but Furihata never ventured outside of the forest before. Akashi was the first friend he made, the first one he talked to and he was nervous about trying to talk to other people.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea, someone could find out,” He said taking another step back. Akashi frowned.

“I won’t let you get caught, don’t you trust me Kouki?” Furihata stared at Akashi for a while before, hesitantly, taking his hand.

“I trust you,”

Akashi's frown subdued as he took in Furihata’s warm smile and the two walked back to the dojo, holding hands.

*

“I give up! You’re so good at this, Ryou-kun,” Furihata said as he let out a defeated sigh.

“Furicchi is just bad at board games,” Kise said and laughed.

“Ne, Furi-chin, don’t be sad. You can have one of my rice cakes,”

Furihata beamed at the taller boy and accepted one of his treats.

Furihata had somehow managed to form a friendship with some of the kids studying with Akashi. During warm seasons, they’d sneak behind the teachers’ backs into the clearing and play for the reminder of their break and on cold seasons such as this one, they’d sneak Furihata inside one of the many classrooms until it was time for him to leave.

They were all children from well known families which intimidated Furihata at first, but after getting to know them, he was glad he could be around all those people with different and fun personalities.

But, Furihata was genuinely surprised they never got caught all this time.

“What’s with all this noise?!” They heard the sound of one of the teachers coming from outside the door. They barely had a minute before the door was opened.

The man looked at them suspiciously, as all the kids in the room were sitting straight with weird, uncomfortable smiles on their faces, especially Midorima who sat rigid in his place, looking like he just committed a crime. His eyes inspected the room but found nothing suspicious so he sighed.

“Oi! Aomine, Momoi, you’re on cleaning duty today!” He barked at them and the two stood up in sync almost instantly.

“Yes sir!” They both said in unison.

The man raised his eyebrow once more as it was unusual for Aomine to be so obedient. Maybe Momoi was finally influencing him. He hummed in satisfaction and left the room, closing the door behind him. Identical sighs of relief left their mouths.

“T-that was close!” Furihata said as he lowered himself on the floor. “It’s a good thing he didn’t look upwards,” He added with a grin.

The others chuckled.

*

“Kou-chan,”

Furihata froze in his place when he heard his mother’s voice. He, hesitantly, turned around to look at her. She was fixing him with a stern look.

“I know you like visiting the forest, but try not to neglect your duties. You didn’t check on the seal today,”

Furihata laughed nervously while scratching the back of his head. He was seriously worried his mother had found out he’s been meeting up with the other kids.

“Kouki…” He heard her say in a worried, soft voice. “I’m sorry you had to live like this. One day, when you’re a little older, I’ll explain everything,” She said with a sad smile while ruffling his hair.

Furihata faintly nodded, but avoided her gaze feeling a little guilty that he was already breaking the rules behind her back. He abandoned the idea of visiting the others for the sake on checking up on the big golden box, hidden within a small shrine.

It was the main duty of the future priest and guardian of fortune. The box hid the pieces of the god of disaster his ancestor had managed to defeat all these decades ago.

He walked in silence alongside his mother.

Furihata opened the door to the shrine, only to find the box glowing and rattling. Furihata’s eyes widened in shock and he quickly touched the lid of the box and murmured the chants just like he’d do every time, but it wasn’t working, the box continued to move.

Furihata tried to use his powers to strengthen the seal, but the moment his hands glowed white above the lid, the box shone brighter and Furihata was sent flying to the other side of the room, he groaned in pain as his body collided with the wall and fell limply on the floor.

That last thing he heard were his mother’s screams.

*  
Akashi’s fingers lightly tapped in the table as he scribbled inside his book. He was hardly paying attention to what he was reading or writing as his mind was occupied with thoughts about a certain brunet. The others sat at a safe space from him, probably sensing his deteriorating mood.

Kouki hadn’t come for the past week.

While this was nothing new as sometimes he had to attend to an extra training or some other duty as a guardian, something inside Akashi was nagging at him that his absence this time was abnormal, that Kouki wasn’t okay.

“Ne, Akashicchi. Can’t we just go check on Furicchi?” Kise said, hoping to ease the frown on Akashi’s face.

“No,” He firmly said as he closed his book. “If we get caught, we’ll all get in trouble for breaking the rules,” The blonde pouted and returned to staring blankly at his homework.

Akashi sighed and leaned further against the cold wall, Kise’s suggestion still replaying in his head.

Maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea, after all…

Later that night, Akashi managed to sneak out of his room while everyone was sleeping. All this time with Kouki had taught him a thing or two about breaking the rules with no remorse. A fond smile played on his lips at the thought of Kouki.

The trail up to the temple, where Kouki told Akashi he lived, was only lit by the full moon in the sky. He climbed the stairs slowly, making sure of the each placement of his foot on the old rocks.

When he reached the top of the stairs however, he stopped dead in his tracks, suddenly very aware that he didn’t know where Kouki’s room was or where to even begin searching.

*

“S-Sei?”

Furihata slowly blinked his eyes open. His vision was still a little hazy as he took in his empty room. He slowly sat up in his futon, the wet cold cloth placed on his forehead slid into his lap.

He didn’t know how, but he could sense Akashi was near. He stood up, staggering a bit until he found his balance, and wrapped himself in a thin blanket and opened the paper door that lead him outside. He shivered the moment he felt cold air on his face.

His legs walked on their own, carrying him towards the stairs that lead into the forest where a figure was looking around, seemingly lost. When the figure noticed Furihata walking towards him, he momentarily panicked before his dichromatic eyes locked on Furihata’s chocolate ones. Almost instantly, Akashi ran up to him and engulfed him in a tight hug.

“Sei! What are you doing here?!” Furihata asked, looking around them, making sure no one was there.

“You didn’t show up. I came to check on you,” Akashi simply answered. “Are you ok?” His words were laced with worry. Furihata couldn’t help but smile as he nodded.

“Yes, don’t worry. I caught a cold, but I’m already better now that you’re here,” He said as his grin grew wider as he noticed the pink dusting on Akashi’s cheeks.

Akashi let out a sigh of relief as he pressed his forehead to Furihata’s warm one.

“As much as I’m happy you came, but you’ll get in trouble if someone sees you,” Furihata said, breaking their contact to look at Akashi in the eyes. “Wait here, I’ll put on proper clothes and show you back, ok?”

Before Akashi could even protest, Furihata had already left. Akashi sat on a nearby rock and rubbed at his arms in an attempt to gain a bit more warmth in this cold night.

_“Come here,”_

Akashi’s head jerked up at the sudden sound reaching his ears. He looked around him, but no one was there, he was all alone.

_“Come here,”_

The sound repeated itself, but once again Akashi saw no one. He stood up and frowned at the dark empty space before him.

_“Come here, boy,”_

The third time he heard the voice though, his legs started walking on their own as if in a trance. He stopped before what looked like a small shrine. He opened the door to find a golden box in the middle, surrounded by written charms. His hands hovered over the lid, before they started slowly lifting it.

"NO! DON'T OPEN IT!" Akashi heard the familiar voice of Kouki shout at him. But it was already too late...

The big golden box which was laid in the middle of the room was now opened, the lid thrown somewhere on the floor as a bright light filled the place. Out of shock, Akashi fell to the ground, his hand were shaking and eyes widened. He did not mean to...This wasn't supposed to happen...

Twelve shadows flew outside the box, circling just above him. He could hear their sinister laughs as some of them flew too close to his body. Each time one of the shadows touched him, he would feel a painful burn jolting throughout his body. 

"Stay away from him!" 

He could hear Kouki's voice but couldn't quite locate him. His vision was blocked by the swirling shadows around his body. It was getting harder and harder to endure the pain as he hugged himself and tried to keep himself out of harm's way. 

He felt scared...

But all of a sudden, the sinister laughs turned into wails of agony, and the darkness that once surrounded him began to clear. When he lift his head, he saw Kouki standing before him, the shadow's disappearing within him like his body was some sort of a black hole. 

When all the shadows were gone, Kouki dropped to his knees. His breathing was labored and his arms were shaking under his weight. 

"Kouki!" Akashi quickly stood up and ran to Kouki's side, placing both his hands on his shoulders, trying to balance him a little. "Are you okay?!" He asked, hurriedly, voice thick with worry. The boy in his arms nodded as he flashed him a tired smile.

"I'm sorry...I didn't-" He was stopped by a finger placed on his lips. Kouki shook his head and kept that smile on his face as he got up, he stumbled once but regained his balance and stood up firmly, as if assuring Akashi he was fine. 

He extended his hand to Akashi, urging him to take it. And he did. 

"Don't worry. I'll always protect you, Sei..." He said with a smile.

But… the minute Akashi stood steadily on his feet, Kouki’s body collapsed in his arms.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I was late with this chapter, those who follow me in tumblr probably knows what a rough few days I had.  
> So things are a bit clearer now :3 The story will pick up pace from this point on and I really do love the Kyoto chapters so much which is why the chapters are getting longer XD The last scene was one of Akashi's dreams in the second chapter.


	8. Story of the past: Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally! I was able to get this chapter out XD  
>  **I want you guys to remember that I'm NOT following the manga directly at all** so don't expect to see the same scenes as in the manga, I'm following the main plot but making up everything else on the way XD I've already changed so much lol
> 
>  
> 
> ***Yakujin=God of disaster**

_“_ _If fate means you to lose, give him a good fight anyhow,”_

**Chapter 8**

Akashi’s grandmother took another sip from her, now, cold tea and placed the cup back down, the knocking sound against the wooden table, echoed, in the otherwise silent room. Her mouth was now set in a straight line, contradictory to the polite smile she had plastered on her face when she first started talking.

Furihata only continued to stare at his trembling hands, in his lap. His heart was thrown into turmoil of emotions, ones of shock and fear…and a certain amount of guilt at the revelations of the story. As if those actions were conducted by them and not their ancestors. He could tell Akashi felt the same, by the way his hands clenched on the fabric of his Kimono and the slight pained expression that replaced his usual calm demeanor.

The guardian of fortune and the boy he, unexpectedly, came to befriend…

Both knew they were breaking the rules, but neither knew why the rules were established in the first place. It was because Furihata’s parents never thought there would be a need to tell him, or maybe they thought he was still too young. They just never anticipated that their obedient, shy son would go into the forbidden forest, and have the courage to speak to someone other than his own family.

The guardian of fortune was to forever remain hidden from the public eye; such was the destiny of those born with this power, for the person the guardian would come to like, would be able to hear the Yakujin, making it easier for them to control.

He was a powerful god, and even after being sealed, he was always waiting for an opportunity to be freed. That opportunity came when the two, unknowingly, started harboring feelings that surpassed those of friendship towards one another. When Furihata’s will weakened and he fell ill, it was the perfect time for the Yakujin to lure Akashi into releasing him.

“What…happened to them?” Furihata asked, voice wavering, raising his head to look into Akashi’s grandmother’s eyes. “What happened after the Yakujin was sealed in his body?”

The old lady adjusted her seating and took in a deep breath, and continued to speak with a calm voice. Furihata and Akashi listened, attentively.

“It wasn’t long before the staff of the sacred temple noticed something was wrong…”

*

_Akashi held Furihata’s body close with quivering hands. His skin was burning with fever and he wouldn’t respond, no matter how many times Akashi had called his name. His weak breathing was the only indication he was still alive, as he lied, limply, in Akashi’s arms. Tears of confusion and fear for Furihata’s life trailed down his face._

_The small shrine’s doors were still opened and the cold mid-winter air sent shivers down Akashi’s spine. He knew Furihata’s condition could worsen because of the cold. He slowly placed Furihata’s body on the floor and took his hori off and wrapped it around Furihata’s body, then slowly tried to pick him up. His legs nearly gave out at the additional weight of the body in his hands, but once he found his balance, he walked slowly towards the entrance. Furihata’s head was leaning against his chest and he could see the small clouds coming out of his mouth each time he breathed._

_“Kou-chan!”_

_Akashi looked up to find a woman with long brown hair running in his direction, followed by a number of men and women, all which he guessed were part of the staff living in the temple. She stopped before him and instantly her hand moved to touch Furihata’s forehead, she quickly withdrew her hand like it’s been stung, her expression mirrored the horror and worry in her big brown eyes._

_She slowly tries to release Furihata out of Akashi’s vice grip and he, reluctantly, relaxed his grasp. Once she had him in her arms, she quickly turned to an older looking female staff and handed Furihata to her, and told her to take him to his room. Then, she turned to look directly at Akashi._

_“Akashi-kun, what happened? How did you get here?” She asked, fretfully._

_Akashi only averted his eyes, not entirely sure of what he should say, it wasn’t his wish to get Furihata or himself into trouble, but with what had happened, he knew he must tell someone who would understand what unfolded before his eyes back at the shrine. Sensing his inner battle, she forced her nerves to calm down by taking in a deep breath, and then spoke to him once more._

_“Akashi-kun, my name is Kaori; I’m Kouki’s mother,” Akashi turned to look at her. “I can’t help him if I don’t know what had happened. Would you tell me everything?”_

_Her voice was very soothing to the ear in much the same way Furihata’s was._

_Akashi slowly nodded._

*

_“Nearly four years, but none of us noticed a thing!” Furihata’s father, the head priest, said, throwing his arms in the air._

_The three of them were talking in the room, next to the one where Furihata was resting. Unlike his wife, who tried her best to keep her composure, he didn’t bother masking his frustration and anger, more so at himself and his staff for not noticing Furihata’s continuous absence._

_Akashi sat in silence, his mind still wrapping around what Furihata’s mother explained about the god of disaster and the misfortunes that were to befall Furihata and all those around him, if his powers were ever to waver._

_If… if Furihata was to lose his life because of one of those misfortunes, then the Yakujin would be freed from his body to roam the lands once more._

_His insides twisted in a sick and bitter feeling of guilt._

_Kaori placed her hand over her husband’s bigger one and circled her thumb over it in a comforting gesture. He sighed, his shoulders lowered, but the pained expression never left his face. Kaori, too, looked like she was holding back her tears._

_“Is there anything that could be done? That,_ I _can do?” Akashi said, hands clenching into fists in determination._

_Kaori shook her head. “We don’t know for how long Furihata’s powers can keep the misfortunes at bay. We will send the remaining students back to their homes, and…prepare for the worse,” She said and hung her head low, but Akashi had already noticed the tears descending down her cheeks._

_“I will stay,” Akashi said, firmly. “I won’t leave Kouki alone,”_

_Kaori’s head jerked up to look at him, looking quite surprised at Akashi’s statement. Before she was to say anything, her husband interrupted._

_“Don’t you understand that your presence by his side was the cause to all this mess!?” His voice was laced with venom. “If you were not so close, then you wouldn’t have been used by the Yakujin. If the bond you share deepens, it would only bring disarray to Kouki’s powers,”_

_Akashi’s mismatched eyes narrowed at the man, who flinched at the intense gaze of Akashi’s eyes, but said nothing, as a part of himself knew Furihata’s father had every right to deem him responsible for what had happened. But, leaving the temple and let Kouki suffer the consciences alone, was not something he would readily agree to._

_“I-it’s not Sei’s fault,”_

_Furihata’s weak voice halted their conversation, as three sets of eyes turned to look at him. Akashi immediately strolled to where Furihata was standing by the door, wrapped in a thin blanket, and touched his forehead. It was still warm, but no longer burning and Akashi couldn’t stop the sigh of relief that escaped his lips._

_Their exchange never escaped the careful eyes of Kaori, whose tears stopped the moment she saw her son standing on his own._

_“I’m the one who broke the rules, it’s not Sei’s fault,” Furihata said, directing his gaze to his father, who looked irritated at Furihata’s attempts to defend Akashi._

_“But, Sei,” Furihata said, this time turning his gaze to Akashi. “Father is right, you have to go back. I don’t know what kind of misfortunes I’ll start attracting.” His voice was barely above a whisper as he spoke the next few words. “I-I can’t see you anymore,”_

_Akashi’s hands balled into fists and he could feel his nails digging into his flesh. “If it has come to this then…” He took a calming breath in and forced Furihata to look into his eyes once again._

_“I’ll take responsibility and bear the Yakujin instead,”_

_Three identical gasps sounded in the room as they looked at Akashi in disbelieve._

_“N-no! What are you saying, Sei?” Furihata said, his hands clutching to Akashi’s Yukata. “I told you this isn’t your fault! You don’t have the power to stop him! You can get injured or even killed!” Furihata looked at Akashi, pain and worry crossing his visage. “I c-can’t bear to see you hurt,”_

_A small smile played at Akashi’s lips at Furihata’s words. “Then, how are you asking me to stand aside and watch_ you _get hurt?”_

_Breath halted in Furihata’s throat, and tears were at the brim of his eyes at Akashi’s words. Not trusting his voice to say anything he buried his head in Akashi’s chest, who wrapped an arm around Furihata’s shoulders, his other hand threading through his hair for comfort._

_“There might be a way… A way to stop misfortunes from befalling others, to stop the Yakujin even if for a while,” Kaori’s voice interrupted the moment, and both boys turned to look at her, interested in what she had to say._

_“You can’t mean…?” Her husband said while looking into her eyes, and she nodded._

_“We could set a binding contract, if the twelve pieces are separated, then he can’t escape.” She explained. “If Akashi-kun is truly willing, of course,”_

_Furihata’s eyes widened, but before he could say anything, Akashi pressed his hand in front of Furihata’s chest, gently, and turned to face Kaori again and nodded at her to continue talking._

_“If the both of you can overcome the misfortunes, then he’s done for. If not, then the binding contract doesn’t allow him to escape,” She paused a little, then continued. “But, what befalls one of you, befalls the other, it’s what a binding contract means,”_

_“In other words, it binds our souls to one another,” Akashi stated and Furihata’s mother nodded._

_“I understand if you won’t do, it. Surely, I’ll try and find ano-“_

_“I’ll do it,” Akashi interrupted, not a hint of hesitation or uncertainty in his voice._

_“No!” Furihata’s grip on Akashi’s clothes tightens. “You have your own life, Sei. I won’t get you involved! Y-you don’t have to feel obligated to do anything because of guilt,”_

_Furihata’s parents remained silent and waited for Akashi’s response._

_“Kouki,” Akashi lifts Furihata’s chin so the two were looking into each other’s eyes. “While I do admit I still hold myself responsible for what happened, my decision wasn’t clouded by guilt,”_

_“But-“_

_“Weren’t you the one who told me not to do everything alone?”_

_Furihata shook his head. “This and that are different things!”_

_“It’s not,” Akashi, calmly, said._

_“To be separated, and live my life away from you would be my greatest misfortune of all,”_

_“W-what!?” Furihata stuttered, his cheeks deepening in color and Akashi is sure it wasn’t induced by his fever._

_“Share your fate with me. Let me protect you this time,” Akashi clasped Furihata’s hands in his and stared deep into Furihata’s eyes, and Furihata knew there was no changing his mind once he’s set on doing something._

_“Are you sure? You’re about to throw yourself into a fatal situation. This is not a laughing matter,” The head priest said in a serious tone. Akashi turned to face him fully and nodded._

_“I know,”_

_“Very well then,”_

*

Akashi’s grandmother placed her, now, empty cup on the table. Kuroko’s cup was empty since before the story had started, but the two cups across from his were barely touched. Akashi and Furihata remained silent and only waited for his grandmother to continue.

“They set up the contract after that and Furihata’s powers were able to stop the Yakujin for almost three years,” She paused and lowered her head instead of looking at them in the eye. Furihata’s chest tightened.

“On the night of his seventeenth birthday, all sorts of accidents began happening and he knew his powers were no longer enough to stop the growing power of the Yakujin,” She paused again and Kuroko took note of the slight tremble in her hands.

“They survived the first misfortune…but not the second,”

Furihata’s eyes were wide with shock and he couldn’t stop the gasp from escaping his lip, Akashi could feel his nails digging deeper into his thigh. For a few minutes, no one said anything.

“The fate of the Akashi and Furihata families cross once every 100 years, because until this day none of the previous pairs was able to overcome all twelve misfortunes.” Akashi’s grandmother interrupted the awkward silence. “The binding contract along with the curse it carries continues to be inherited through the generations,”

“I never wanted to believe my grandson would be next, but…all the signs were there,” She said with a sad smile on her face, but it was soon replaced by a serious expression as she looked in the eyes of her grandson and his companion.

“You have a duty now, to protect each other and overcome this curse. It’s the only way to break this chain of misfortune,”

Furihata shot a worried glance in Akashi’s direction, the redhead only moved his hand and rested it on Furihata’s own and squeezed. Furihata’s nerves calmed down a bit at the gesture and he squeezed Akashi’s hand back.

They were into this together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this concludes the story, if anyone's got any questions feel free to ask ^^  
> I suffered a STRONG case of writer's block T_T So sorry it took me so long to update  
> I named Furihata's mom 'Kaori' which means strong, and it's close to Shiori which is Akashi's mother's name. Don't mind me and my love for silly details lol XD  
> I've already updated chapter 9 though :3 Hope this makes up for the lateness :3  
> Thank you for reading, any feedback is appreciated ~


	9. Memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another treat for waiting too long :3 !

_“I looked at you and recognized you instantly. All of our lives flashed through my mind in a split second.”_

**Chapter 9**

Furihata jolted out of his sleep once again, panting, his body breaking into cold sweat and eyes darting around the big empty room. It took him a few moments to remember he was sleeping in one of the guest rooms in the Akashi manor in Kyoto. His breathing gradually slowed down.

Last night, after listening to the story of the curse, they were joined by Kagami, who returned from his job, to have dinner in the main hall. He and Akashi were deeply lost in thought and were only nibbling on their food. Kagami, who had no idea about what happened when he was away, tried his best to brighten up the mood at the table, and Furihata had to admit watching the man eating a portion that could easily feed ten other men, was quite amusing.

But, each time he lied down on the futon and closed his eyes, it’ll only be a matter of a few minutes before he’s jolted back awake.

Sleeping in an unfamiliar room, in an unfamiliar bed was never something he was comfortable with, but this time it was different. For, whenever he managed to fall asleep, dreams of a younger version of himself playing in the clearing with Akashi…only to be engulfed in darkness seconds later, haunted him.

But, what confused him the most was the nostalgic feeling he got after each of those dreams.

Deciding he wasn’t going to get much sleep this night, he heaved a sigh and got up. He fished for his jacket inside the bag he brought and put it on and opened the doors to the back garden he stumbled upon this afternoon when he arrived. He instantly hugged his arms in an attempt to gain more warmth as he walked outside in the cold night.

The fresh air and the calm atmosphere did little to lift up his mood, as he continued to be occupied with thoughts about the story and the dreams he was having. He had initially come here to learn more about Akashi, about the fate they both shared, but now that he knew there were others who lost their lives to the misfortunes, he couldn’t help but think, that maybe coming here wasn’t a good idea after all.

He was scared.

More so, than before.

He’d already almost lost his life in the past two misfortunes, and now that he knew others have actually died, he couldn’t see how he and Akashi were to stay alive. His grip on his jacket tightened, worry already accumulating in his heart.

His feet came to a sudden stop. It wasn’t the wooden bench, or the beautiful oak tree that drew his attention, but the red haired guy who was sitting on the bench, absentmindedly staring at the stars, a shogi board abandoned by his side, and a cup of a hot beverage in his hands.

Furihata was reminded of the first time he saw Akashi back at the café, staring at the people outside the glass window, emitting that aura of refinement and intimidation. And just like that time, Akashi’s head turned his way, his mismatched eyes meeting his brown ones.

Furihata’s heart skipped a beat.

“Couldn’t sleep?” Akashi asked, took a sip from his cup and motioned for Furihata to come closer.

A blush instantly made its way to Furihata’s cheeks as he was caught staring once more, yet this time he couldn’t pull away from those dichromatic eyes as he walked to sit on the bench to Akashi’s right.

Those were the same eyes haunting his dreams, the eyes of the young Akashi, and the same eyes he saw on Akashi a few times before, the eyes that replaced his usual red ones. Before Furihata could realize what he was doing, his fingers were already touching Akashi’s cheek, a little bellow his left eye.

“Your eye…”

It was when Akashi’s looked at him a little confusingly, that Furihata finally snapped out of his daze and retracted his hand, his earlier blush deepening in color.

“What about my eyes, Kouki?” Akashi asked, and Furihata felt like cursing his own heart for beating faster at the mention of his first name.

“N-nothing! It’s just…y-your eyes are normally both red, but sometimes your left eye seems…” He trailed at the end of his sentence, as he once more locked gazes with Akashi’s eyes and he had to grip on his hand to stop it from reaching for Akashi’s face.

Akashi only smirked.

“Golden? Yes I’m well aware of it, you’re not mistaken,” Akashi, calmly answered and took another sip of his cup.

“Eh?” Furihata blinked at him and Akashi couldn’t help but chuckle a bit at the confused expression on his face.

“Surely, you must have noticed by now, Kouki. Try and figure it out,” Akashi said and smirked again, the teasing tone only managed to confuse Furihata even more.

Furihata wanted to argue it was already so late at night and he was just woken up from several nightmares and that there was no way he would be able to think clearly about something, yet his mind was already recalling each incident he’d seen the redhead with dichromatic eyes, and how his personality seemed to differ slightly than when he had both his red eyes, along with the way he would address Furihata.

Furihata could feel his head aching from all the memories he was remembering, when his mind paused at a particular one at Akashi’s birthday, from when he was confronted by Akashi’s father about the curse.

_“Your presence stirs Akashi's second personality,"_

Second personality…

His mind put two and two together.

“The look on your face, tells me you’ve figured it out,” Akashi stated, amused by Furihata’s baffled expression.

“T-then, you’re not Akashi-kun?”

“No, there’s always been two of us, we merely trade places. But we’re both Akashi Seijuurou, in a way,” Akashi explained, his earlier smirk turning into a small smile.

“I-I see,” Furihata didn’t know what else to say as he stared at his lap.

More than being surprised to find out there were actually two Akashi Seijuurous, he was surprised at himself for accepting the news so readily, not finding the situation the slightest bit odd, as if somewhere deep within himself, he’d always known this was the case.

The silence that followed wasn’t awkward, but not at all comfortable as both of them struggled to start a conversation. Now that Furihata thought about it, he’d never once talked properly with the golden eyed Akashi. He was either being a rather rude customer at the café, or busy saving Furihata from a speeding train, and there was that one time in the kitchen where they talked for a minute before he started kissing Furihata’s falling tears.

His cheeks turned scarlet at the memory once again, and he wished he could blame all this blushing on the cold.

He shook his head in a futile attempt to rid of the redness, but stopped when his nose caught the aroma of a sweet peppermint scent, and turned his gaze to the cup in Akashi’s hands.

“C-cinnamon?” He blurted out, not entirely meaning to say his thoughts out loud. Akashi looked a little startled at the sudden question, but it was short lived as he regained his composure rather soon and smiled softly at Furihata, an expression the brunet was surprised to see.

“Cinnamon has a calming effect on the nerves; I’ve always enjoyed its taste,”

“I noticed,” Furihata said with a small chuckle. Akashi raised his brow at him, which turned Furihata’s chuckles into nervous laughter

“Y-you know! The first time I saw you at the café! You weren’t satisfied with your drink, until I put cinnamon in it!” Furihata said, rubbing the back of his head.

“Oh,” Akashi said, as he recalled the events of his first day in Tokyo, after the private investigator provided him with Furihata’s information. That day held a bitter sweet memory for him.

“I do apologize for that day, it wasn’t my intent to be a difficult customer,”

“It’s fine, really!” Furihata said, flailing his hands a bit, “Y-you were really scary back then. You know, you could have just told me you liked cinnamon, “ He continued, and couldn’t help but chuckle when he remembered the satisfied expression on Akashi’s face as he drank his coffee.

“…I thought you’d remember,” Akashi muttered under his breath, in a barely audible tone.

“Mmm?” Furihata looked at Akashi, wondering if he’d heard him say something. Akashi shook his head.

“It’s nothing. You never told me what kept you awake,” Akashi said, skillfully changing the subject.

Furihata’s carefree expression changed instantly, and he, instead, wore a worried expression and hugged his arms closely while shifting his gaze to his feet. Talking to Akashi for a few minutes made him forget about the whole ordeal.

“Kouki, what’s wrong?” Akashi asked again, eyeing the brunet closely.

For a good minute, Furihata didn’t answer.

“I’ve…been having nightmares,” Furihata admitted after a long pause, still not making eye contact with Akashi. “My head’s been messed up ever since the talk with your grandmother. I can’t help but feel…scared,”

Furihata’s head jerked up, when he felt a hand ruffling his brown hair. He looked up at Akashi, who didn’t seize his actions, but started threading his fingers into Furihata’s hair instead. It felt so comforting, so calming that Furihata lost himself to the touch, subconsciously, leaning further towards Akashi.

“It’s okay to feel scared. We’re up against a power stronger than us, after all. But, you shouldn’t give up so soon,”

“H-how can you be so sure we’re going to make it?”

Akashi’s hand stopped, his expression hardening and his other hand tightening around the cup.

“I’m not.” He calmly said, but Furihata could hear the slight waver in his voice. “I’m simply not giving up,”

Akashi slid his hand from Furihata’s hair down the side of his face and stopped at his cheek.

“I’ve already lost you too many times before,”

Any other day, Furihata would have turned a hundred shades of red, but right now his mind was much occupied with Akashi’s statement, to pay attention to the embarrassment. He stared at Akashi in confusion, which made the redhead sigh.

“You really don’t remember anything?” Akashi asked, his eyes looking deep into Furihata’s own. Furihata shook his head.

“Remember what, exactly? W-what do you mean?”

Akashi furrowed his eyebrows, seemingly in thought before fixing his serious gaze on Furihata again. Furihata flinched at the intensity of Akashi’s gaze, no entirely sure if he wanted to know the true meaning behind Akashi’s words.

“Do you trust me, Kouki?”

Furihata’s heart skipped a beat at the question, and for a moment he thought he saw the image of the younger Akashi looking at him with the same gaze and extending his hand. He blinked once and the younger Akashi was gone, and Akashi’s dichromatic eyes were still staring into his.

“I do,”

The words escaped his mouth, almost mechanically. Not that Furihata thought they weren’t true.

“Then, play a game of Shogi with me and I’ll tell you everything,” He demanded with a smirk, holding a shogi piece in his hand.

“I’ve n-never played shogi before!” Furihata said, baffled by Akashi’s strange request.

“You said you trusted me, didn’t you?”

Furihata sighed in defeat and nodded, and Akashi wasted no time in arranging the stones on the shogi board, it actually felt refreshing to see Akashi this excited about doing something.

Akashi moved one of his stones first, and Furihata moved his, second, without taking any time to think about his move. Akashi smirked, and Furihata couldn’t understand the reason behind Akashi’s expression, until it was Furihata’s turn again. Just like the first time, his hand reached for a different stone, all on its own and moved it forward.

This time Furihata’s eyes widened while looking at the board and at his own hand accusingly, for he could tell what each of the stones were called and he was, already, going through several plans and moves in his head.

He was sure he’d never touched a shogi board in his life, yet he couldn’t think of a logical explanation to what was happening.

He looked at Akashi again, his brown eyes wide with shock. And it was the second time he thought he saw the younger Akashi, smirking victoriously at him while holding a shogi piece in his hand. He shook his head, wishing to rid of the hallucinations that were becoming a regular occurrence in this house.

“H-how!?”

Akashi remained calm, but the smirk didn’t leave his face.

“It’s because you’re the one who taught me how to play,” He placed the shogi piece on the board with a click. “Though, I must say, the pupil surpassed the teacher rather quickly,”

“What do you m-mean by that!? I don’t remember teaching you anything,” Furihata said, standing up, feeling his heart beat faster. “That time at the café was the first time I saw you,”

Furihata head ached with confusion.

Akashi heaved a small sigh, got up from the bench and stood closely in front of the flustered brunet and slowly reached for his hand.

“The first time we met, was at the clearing, all those hundreds of years ago…”

“Wha-“

“The story you heard wasn’t about our ‘ancestors’, those were us,” Akashi squeezed Furihata’s hand then continued. “The guardian of fortune was you, Kouki. The first life that we’ve lived,”

“W-what? That’s im-“ Furihata wanted to say impossible, yet he couldn’t bring himself to dismiss the idea entirely. He knew by now that Akashi wasn’t one to joke or tell lies. He took a deep breath in to try and calm down, and looked at Akashi again.

“How?”

Akashi’s grip on his hand didn’t falter.

“As my grandmother mentioned, the binding contract binds our souls. When we die, we’re reborn a hundred years later, bearing the same curse we had back then,” Akashi’s eyes closed. “It was the solution you mother came up with,”

“My mother…”

The face of a long-haired woman with a soft smile popped in his head, and Furihata quickly clutched to his aching head.

“I know it’s a lot to take in at the moment, but …”Akashi tugged on Furihata’s hand, yanking him forward a little forcefully. Furihata stumbled on his feet and collided with Akashi’s body, who wrapped an arm around Furihata’s waist, while his other held the back of Furihata’s head resting on his chest.

Amidst all his confusion, Furihata couldn’t help but blush at the sudden close proximity. For once, he was glad Akashi couldn’t see his face right now. Just like the time at the train station, when Akashi had hugged close, he felt instantly safe in his arms and he, hesitantly, wrapped his around Akashi’s back. He felt the redhead somewhat relax at his touch.

“You’re taking too long to remember, _Kouki_ ,”

Akashi’s heart was beating faster, and there was a slight tremble to his hands. Furihata had never heard his name uttered with such deep emotions before. And the only thing he could ever think about, was wanting to see Akashi’s expression at this moment.

He freed himself from Akashi’s vice grip and took a step back, Akashi still kept a loose grip on his waist. He looked up at him, his brown eyes melting into Akashi’s mismatched pools. His mouth was set in a straight line, but Furihata could see the fleeting pain in his eyes. It was a strange expression to see on the redhead, especially now that Furihata was so used to his sweet smiles, or teasing smirks.

The wind picked up around them, ruffling both of their hair. But, other than the rustling of the trees, the garden was quiet as the two silently kept staring into each other’s eyes. As a pinkish hue adorned their cheeks, be it from the cold, or something else, Furihata didn’t know.

He, abruptly, stood on his toes and pressed his dry lips to Akashi’s own.

Both let a little gasp into the kiss, as Furihata’s body had moved on its own and Akashi wasn’t anticipating such a sudden and bold move. Akashi was quick to recover from the shock, though, and was quick to secure his arm around Furihata’s waist, pressing his lips more firmly. Furihata’s shoulders relaxed, his hands resting on Akashi’s chest as he returned his kiss with eagerness.

His lips tasted of cinnamon.

It was a familiar taste.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote two chapters in a row! I'm pleased with myself :3   
> It's a personal headcanon of mine that Akashi likes cinnamon in his drinks, it somehow got out of hand in this story...XD  
> So, what are your guys thought after this chapter? :3 hehe ~ Next one, well have more Kagakuro and a very confused Oreshi ~   
> Thank you for reading, any feedback is appreciated ~


	10. Raging Fire: Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took me more than a couple of months to get this done omg !! I'm so sorry for talking too long, but my life is not the easiest right now and I barely had the time to write anything. I do hope you'll enjoy this chapter !  
>  **Reminder: ******the chapter is in Oreshi's point of view, so any "Akashi" I mention it's him.

_“There is an unseen life that dreams us. It knows our true direction and destiny.“_  
  
**Chapter 10**  
  
_Seijuurou was swaying on the edge of a dream._  
  
He was in a state where he’s neither awake nor asleep, but a little in between. The sounds his conscious mind was hearing blended in with the scenery of his dream, the soft humming of a lullaby was rather relaxing, but it felt vexing not being able to see the source of the melodic sound. His curiosity won the battle against his tired mind, and slowly his eyes flickered open.  
  
He blinked, eyes adjusting to the sudden assault of the afternoon sun, and was met by the blueness of the sky. Tilting his head a little to the right, his heart fluttered as he saw the peaceful expression on Kouki’s face. Brown tresses ruffled by the wind and soft pink lips moving in sync, uttering the beautiful tone, now much louder and clearer than the one in his dream.  
  
A soft smile played on his lips.  
  
His head rested on the hard, yet comfortable lap, as long fingers threaded through his hair, while the brunet continued gazing at the passing clouds, absentmindedly muttering under his breath. Seijuurou was almost lulled back to sleep, but knowing he’ll miss this rare moment of hearing Kouki’s singing voice, he continued to lie down quietly, eyes following his every move.  
  
Kouki looked down, and instead of a tune, a little gasp escaped his mouth, fingers halting their movement through Seijuurou’s hair. Seijuurou’s brows furrowed, displeased at the loss of touch.  
  
“S-Sei, You scared me!” Kouki said, his brown eyes staring into Seijuurou’s red ones. “How long have you been awake for?”  
  
“You seemed to be in a good mood, I didn’t want to disturb,” Seijuurou said, then smirked, eyes darting to look at Kouki’s lips. “I don’t always get to hear you sing,”  
  
Kouki averted his eyes to look at the clouds once again, cheeks aflame at the obvious teasing in Seijuurou’s tone, which prompted a chuckle from Seijuurou.  
“I just…feel that today will be a good day,” Kouki admitted as he inhaled a deep breath in, a warm smile on his face.  
  
Even though Seijuurou wanted nothing more but to agree with his words, sadly that couldn’t be the case. Seijuurou’s smile fell and was replaced by a distressed expression. He rose into a sitting position and looked at Kouki who turned to meet his gaze, a little alarmed at the sudden change of mood.  
  
“Don’t let your guard down,” Seijuurou said, words heavy with worry. “Today’s the last day of the second month,”  
  
Kouki’s smile was sad as he nodded his head. “…I know, if anything was to happen, it’ll be today, right?”  
  
Seijuurou took Kouki’s hand in his and linked their foreheads together, he heard him let out a shaky breath. Kouki rested his other hand on his chest, a minute later he pulled away and looked into Seijuurou’s eyes.  
  
“We…we’re going to make it, aren’t we? We’ll definitely stay together, right?” Kouki asked in a hurried manner, his brown orbs silently begging Seijuurou to agree, to give him hope even if false. Seijuurou smiled a reassuring smile and reconnected their foreheads once more.  
  
“Yes, we will. I promise,”   
*  
Akashi’s eyes blinked open, staring at the wood-beam ceiling of the guest room. He hoisted himself in a sitting position and wiped the beads of sweat descending on the side of his face, breath labored and his heart beating a faster rhythm.  
  
Unlike most of his dreams, this one had been rather pleasant, it felt strange but still very much welcomed, that he hadn’t woken up in tears. The loving voice and affectionate smiles warmed his heart up in his sleep.  
And yet, like any of his other dreams, he was pulled out of his merry thoughts, and into the cold emptiness of his room, heart painfully aching with lingering nostalgia.  
  
Thoughts swirled within his mind, chasing away the remaining of his sleepiness. Threads of realization connecting the separate dots as he came to the belated conclusion; the story his grandmother had told him matched the visions he always saw in his sleep. Not that he could deduce why he’d been seeing them all together.  
  
He’s had his speculations and theories, but none of them came close to the truth.  
  
“The story you heard wasn’t about our ‘ancestors’, those were us,” His brother said. “The guardian of fortune was you, Kouki. The first life that we’ve lived,”  
  
To think they were the same people.  
  
Akashi was sure his reaction mirrored Furihata’s own, eyes widening and lips parting in a gasp. He listened carefully to his brother’s story. His tone slightly wavered and his nervousness was evident, as Akashi had noticed before, it was only when Furihata was involved that his brother let go of his confident exterior and laid his true feelings bare for him to see.  
  
“You’re taking too long to remember, _Kouki_ ,”  
  
Akashi’s chest tightened as he watched them hugging, warmth seeping through their connected bodies. When Furihata pulled away to stare into his eyes, Akashi tensed, feeling those chocolate eyes were staring into his very soul.  
But, when the two kissed, his heart halted in his chest, he couldn’t breathe.  
  
They parted, after what seemed like an eternity, but their eyes never strayed from one another. The hand Furihata had clenching to the fabric of Akashi’s shirt loosened its grip, sliding up the side of his face, to rest on his left cheek. Furihata was staring at him, eyes darting across his face, desperately searching for something, something Akashi couldn’t decipher. Neither said a word.  
  
The hand on his face fell to his side and Furihata placed his face on Akashi’s shoulder, body quivering.  
“Why?,” Furihata started, his voice rather weak. “Why does this feel so familiar?”  
  
Furihata’s body was quivering, hot tears wetting Akashi’s shirt. It wasn’t the first time he’d seen the brunet crying, but this time his tears didn’t stop at his brother’s tightened grip on his body, his silent weeping bursting into wails.  
  
“I don’t…I still…C-can’t remember,” He heard Furihata say between sobs and snivels. “I don’t know... who I am anymore,”  
  
“You’ll get there, you will,” His brother said, holding Furihata so close, running a soothing hand along Furihata’s back. It sounded as though he was trying to convince himself rather than Furihata.  
  
Akashi stood in silence, deep within their conscious, watching the scene unfolding before him.  
  
His brother’s reaction when their grandmother first mentioned the curse, the dreams that started soon after. The genuine fear for Furihata’s life, the hugs, the kisses, the tears, the longing, the regret…  
  
It all made sense now.  
  
Their souls were bound together by the contract to try and escape the misfortunes they once unleashed, those dreams; the tender and happy moments, the scary and regrettable moments, they were all snippets of a life they once shared.  
  
_“Yes, we will. I promise,”_  
  
A feeling he couldn’t identify started swirling within the pit of his stomach.  
*  
The knock on his door and the soft, polite voice of the elderly maid roused him from his sleep. His head throbbed as he opened his eye to the complete darkness of their subconscious, which meant his brother was still in control over their body.  
  
Akashi had no recollection of how or when he had fallen asleep, he could only imagine his mental exhaustion had finally taken a toll on him, especially with the revelations of last night.  
  
He heard his brother telling the maid he would join the others for breakfast after a quick shower, which brought Akashi’s attention to him.  
  
Even if his tone was well composed, his voice was rather heavy and it was clear he hadn’t had his rest, if the few messy strands of his hair, the darkness accumulating beneath his eyes and the lack of focus were anything to go by.  
Akashi took over and could instantly feel the physical fatigue of their body and Akashi became certain he hadn’t slept well last night.  
  
But, before he could say anything further, he was stunned still, catching a glimpse of the other person sharing his futon.  
  
Furihata was lying beside him , breathing evenly through his slightly parted mouth, seemingly in a deep sleep.  
  
Akashi instantly narrowed his eyes in his brother’s direction.  
  
“Why is he in our bed?” He paused, “You…didn’t do anything, did you?” He added, feeling strangely irritated at the prospect, his tone mirroring his feelings.  
His brother smirked, which only managed to irk him further.  
  
“No matter how appealing that seems, sadly, nothing of the sort happened,”  
But as soon as he spoke those words, his smirk fell, to be replaced by a grave expression that startled Akashi somewhat.  
  
“After what happened, I…couldn’t leave him alone,” He said, letting out a tired sigh.  
  
The last thing Akashi remembered before his vision had blacked out, was the two, sitting next to each other on the bench, mostly in silence. Furihata was leaning against him as his brother spoke about their past in hope of refreshing his memory.  
  
After the shocking news, he had no doubt Furihata felt lost and confused. Back when he first told Furihata about the curse, he hadn’t believed him and needed some time to accept it as fact. The matter with regaining his seemingly lost memory was further stressing.  
  
He could understand the need to comfort Furihata in such a situation, but wasn’t bringing him back to his own quarters a little...too much?  
  
Had…Had his brother stayed beside Furihata throughout the night?  
  
It would certainly explain the weary state his brother was in.  
The thought sparked an ache in his chest.  
  
“I should wake him up,” His brother’s voice jolted him out of his thoughts, and Akashi managed to stop him when he attempted to take control.  
  
“I will do it, you need your rest,” He said, quite firmly, and to his surprise his brother only stared at him then obliged without a word of protest and disappeared back into the deep part of their mind, leaving his alone with the slumbering brunet.  
  
His gaze shifted back to Furihata, his brown tresses were tussled in every direction and the rims of his eyes were an alarming shade of red. His fingers, absentmindedly, trailed down the brunet’s tear-stained cheeks.  
  
Akashi heaved a sigh.  
  
Unlike his brother who dived into saving Furihata, back when they had faced their very first misfortune, without a shred of hesitance, Akashi was still unsure about the matter.  
  
When he first met Furihata, he had felt uncertain and concerned. He’d only known of the boy’s existence because of the curse, and if their fate was to be intertwined as his grandmother had mentioned, then dealing with the matter was going to prove to be more challenging than what Akashi had initially thought.  
  
Furihata appeared like the type to be naturally prone to accidents, which would be rather problematic for Akashi since he would be the one to sustain his injuries instead. He wasn’t in favor, nor was he looking forward to share the boy’s fate. Protecting him was more of a chore to ensure Akashi’s personal safety.  
  
It had been this way before he got to know Furihata better, and before the brunet had become somewhat of a friend, gaining Akashi’s trust in the process.  
It was like their roles were reversed; normally it was Akashi who was more compassionate to people, who valued new friendships rather quickly, while his brother preferred to keep a certain distance, choosing only to interact with the few people who he deemed worthy of his trust.  
  
Furihata was a different case, though.  
  
The minute the brunet’s name was uttered by their grandmother, he had felt his brother start and stir deep within their subconscious. When questioned, he remained silent, and other times he would skillfully dodge the matter. But soon the dreams started and Akashi got to learn Furihata’s worth within his brother’s heart.  
  
His finger rose to his lips.  
  
While they were their own person, each with his set of likes and dislikes and with their own way of dealing with different affairs, the physical sensations of their body was mutual.  
  
That’s why they both felt the pain of every small misfortune they encountered.  
  
That’s why Akashi felt tired when he took over this morning, even though, technically speaking, his brother was the one who’s been up all night.  
  
That’s why the ghost feeling of Furihata’s dry lips pressing firmly on his own lingered on his mouth.  
  
Every detail of kiss they shared played in his mind. The tilt of heads, swollen lips and their mingled breath. The sheer happiness and relief that surged through his veins and Furihata's fingers lightly caressing his skin, the touches similar to the ones in the dreams, softly trailing his skin in a slow rhythm.  
  
Akashi shook his head to rid of the thoughts filtering through his mind, his cheeks taking on a scarlet hue.  
  
It wasn't his memory to recall, nor were the dreams. Now that he knew, it almost felt he was intruding on something that shouldn't be seen, on intimate moments and memories of a past life that...he wasn't part of.  
  
He sighed. The fingers brushing the brunet's cheek stopping and instead his hand gripped on his shoulder and shook it lightly. Furihata only stirred, and mumbled a few incoherent words, but otherwise remained asleep. He was about to nudge him once more, before his hand paused. If he was to wake Furihata up, the brunet would surely be startled, maybe even mortified to learn he'd slept in his room. Akashi had learned that Furihata disliked being surprised and he'd experienced firsthand persistent he can be in avoiding Akashi each time his brother had caused a scene.  
  
He exhaled another breath. It was still too early in the morning and already he was losing count of how many times he'd sighed.  
  
It was not his intention to bring Furihata any discomfort, so he got up, opened the door and asked one of the maids to wake Furihata up and make sure he had his clothes to change into, before leaving for another one of the many guestrooms in the mansion to get himself ready for the day.  
  
*  
  
A delicious aroma wafted down the hallway leading to the dining room. This time, it didn't smell of the usual miso soup and rice that were the normal menu for breakfast. Instead, it smelled like fried eggs, bacon and a faint scent of pancakes. There was no doubt in Akashi's mind that Kagami had stepped in to prepare their meal, most probably for Kuroko's sake as Kagami's food was his first source of comfort.  
  
He was told by the staff that his grandmother won't be joining them today as her presence was needed in one of the tea houses she managed, which meant they had free choice of clothing for the day. Kimonos were beautiful and certainly to his taste, but wearing something without the need for assistance was immensely preferable.  
  
"A-Akashi!"  
  
Akashi's feet stopped just as Furihata's voice reached his ears. He, still doubting his hearing, slowly turned around, only to be met by the brunet stopping his jog just a few paces from where he stood. His hands were on his knees, panting for air.  
  
Akashi stilled in mild surprise, his eyes widening but only by a fraction. He didn't think Furihata would come to find him so soon, even expecting him to distance himself for a while until he got his thoughts sorted out. It seemed this wasn't the case, for when Furihata finally met his gaze, he didn't avert his eyes. His face had regained its usual color and the slight redness to his eyes was the only indication of the fatigue he must have felt.  
  
"I'm sorry! About all the trouble I caused, last night." Furihata said with a bow. Akashi just stared at him in puzzlement, unsure of what he was referring to.  
  
"It was y-your room I stayed in..." Furihata explained, tilting his head to the side, his cheeks a little flushed.  
  
"Oh," Akashi let out, the sound leaving his mouth before he had the chance to ponder for a better response.  
  
The more Furihata fidgeted as he waited for Akashi to say something, the more Akashi became more self-conscious about the matter. His own cheeks turned rosy remembering the close proximity they were in when he woke up this morning. His brother seemed to enjoy putting him in such situations.  
  
"You do know it wasn't me you were with yesterday, right?" Akashi questioned, a desire to see if Furihata really understood their condition.  
  
For a second, it looked as though Furihata didn't know what he was talking about, but then his eyes lit up in realization and the blush that adorned his cheeks deepened in color as the back of his hand flew to cover his mouth. Akashi internally cringed at the reaction, his eyes narrowing.  
  
"Y-yes! Um, _he_ explained everything about this to me. I just...wanted to apologize to _you_ ,"  
  
While Akashi was glad Furihata knew about his other self now and that his reaction was different from that of other people, he had really wanted to be the one to tell him directly. Furihata regarded him as a friend he trusted and he wanted to show Furihata the sentiment was mutual. Sadly, his brother had beaten him to it, and the manner in which Furihata found out didn't convey any of the feelings Akashi had. It wouldn't have hurt if his brother had waited for Akashi to speak to him before he spoke to Furihata about the past, but once again his brother acted without regard of his personal feelings. It was a bad habit of his.  
  
Akashi subtly swallowed the lump that managed to form in his throat then flashed a soft smile in Furihata's direction.  
  
"I wasn't troubled at all, Furihata, don't worry,"  
  
"That's good then,"

Furihata smiled in relief, a small one but a smile nonetheless, but made no move to leave for the hall with Akashi. He stood there, fingers fondling with one another, stealing glances at Akashi every other second, mouth opening multiple times but no words leaving his lips, like he was contemplating on whether or not he should speak.

Akashi said nothing, giving him the space to gather his thoughts, but eyed him with curiosity, wondering what it was that had Furihata tongue tied.

Furihata, finally, took a deep breath then looked up at Akashi once more and blurted what he wanted to ask in a hurry before he lost his will again. He bit his lips afterwards, averting Akashi’s line of gaze.

“Is he… _there_? I mean, C-Can I talk to him please?”

Akashi blinked a few times, unsure if he heard correctly. Was Furihata truly asking to speak with his brother?

“ _Why_?” The question had left his lips before he could stop it. Part of him regretted it, the other awaited the answer.

Furihata raised his head abruptly, his features contoured in surprise. Akashi felt a slight twinge of guilt when the surprise was replaced by a troubled expression, even more when Furihata shifted his foot uncomfortably under Akashi’s careful eyes.

“I wanted to ask him a few things…to talk to him a little more,” He said, his voice no louder than a whisper, and Akashi doubted he would have heard him hadn’t they been standing so close. Furihata then shook his head and raised his hands before his face in a dismissive gesture. “But I-It’s okay!! It was a stupid request after all, sorry for asking something so weird!” He ducked his head and attempted to walk past Akashi, but Akashi turned and caught his wrist by reflex.

“Wait Furihata!”

But as soon as his mind registered what he held in his hand, he quickly let go. The touch sending jolts of electricity throughout his veins. His heart sped up as he stared at his hand, it felt considerably warmer, uncomfortably so. This never happened before.

“W-What?”

Furihata’s voice snapped his attention away from strange sensation as Akashi realized he must have been staring for quite some time without saying anything. He felt the need to say something, anything to rid of the awkward silence that settled between them, but his throat felt dry.

What was it that he wanted to say? _Won’t you tell me instead? Allow me to be of help as well?_ Rely _on me?_ Even though those were his sincere thoughts, it was useless to voice them. It was plain to see that whatever Furihata wanted to talk about with his brother, it involved something about their shared past. One he had no place in.

“…No, it’s nothing,” He said, a soft, but unnatural smile playing at his lips. Furihata nodded at him once and was about to resume walking before Akashi spoke again. “He’s sleeping,” He paused to make sure Furihata’s attention was back to their conversation. “Once he wakes up, I’ll let you talk, would that be okay?”

Furihata blinked a few times before a wide grateful smile bloomed on his face.

“Yes! That’ll be great, thank you, Akashi!”

His smile shouldn’t have caused his heart to ache.

*

By the time everyone was seated around the low table, all tension was forgotten at the sight and smell of food. Just as Akashi suspected, Kagami prepared pancakes and eggs for breakfast. Not that Akashi minded in the least.

Furihata seemed to be in better spirits as well, savoring every bite of his food, the sight promoting Akashi to eat his own share with delight.

Across from him, Kagami and Kuroko were seated next to each other. The sheer contrast between the size of their meals was comical. Kagami’s pancake mountain was almost enough to feed an entire basketball team, while Kuroko had a normal sized plate with only one pancake covered entirely in syrup. Akashi remembered this as something normal.

The only difference this time, is that Kagami was eating at an average pace, going nowhere as near the speed he normally ate at and was stifling his yawns between bites, while Kuroko had asked for seconds and was eating generally more than he normally does. The reason to it was clear, they were both tired. Kagami’s eyes were red and he had dark circles beneath his eyes, while the only apparent difference from Kuroko’s usual state is that he was eating more sugar, something he only does when fatigued.

At times Kagami would stop eating all together, spoon still hanging in mouth, to give Akashi a long stare when he thought Akashi wasn’t looking, then he’d avert his eyes to look at Furihata too, brows knitted together in what seemed like a frown. The brunet though remained oblivious to his gazes.

Aside from this, the breakfast was uneventful, but it managed to put Akashi’s swirling thoughts at ease, even if only for a while.

“Kuroko-kun, you’re dressed in a kimono?” Furihata exclaimed, the minute they all stood to leave after they were done eating breakfast. Akashi followed his line of sight, and surely enough Kuroko was wearing his traditional robes. He shouldn’t have missed this, but his mind was apparently more occupied than he thought it was.

Kuroko glanced back at Kagami who, in turn, looked in their direction then nodded at Kuroko. Akashi raised his eyebrow in suspicion. Kuroko looked at them again, the tiniest of smiles on his face.

“I’ll be performing a tea ceremony at my grandmother’s tea house, today. Would you like to come?” Kuroko explained.

Akashi watched as curiosity shone in Furihata’s eyes at the prospect.

“Is it really ok if we come?” Furihata asked, looking rather eager.

“…Of course,” Kuroko said, but Akashi didn’t miss the slight hesitation in his voice.

A smile bloomed on Furihata’s face and Akashi couldn’t help but think his excitement was cute. This smile of his managed to warm his heart up, an entire different sensation from the ache he felt when Furihata smiled this morning.

Surely, Akashi was glad seeing such pure joy on his friend’s face and with what they were facing he didn’t wish to see any other expression but happiness. He had seen Furihata smile before, on multiple occasions, but his heart had never skipped a beat at the sight of the brunet smiling nor did it ache when someone other than Akashi was the cause of his smile. Those sensations were something new that never happened before.

*

After getting ready, Kuroko disappeared into one of the cars waiting for them outside the gate, dragging Furihata along with him, leaving no room for him to object. Akashi chuckled at the sight and proceeded to enter the other provided vehicle alongside Kagami.

The ride from the secluded area where the estate was located to the heart of Kyoto wasn’t a short one, so Akashi took the time to go over the procedure of the ceremony in his mind. The last time he’s seen Kuroko perform one was well before he had to leave for Tokyo, and he couldn’t help the excitement he felt. Kuroko’s ceremonies were always so beautiful after all.

Next to him, Kagami was trying to busy himself with his phone, he was strangely on edge and kept glancing at him then turn his gaze back to his phone whenever their eyes met. Kagami’s feelings always showed up on his face even if he avoided talking about them, most of the time it was a welcomed change than the most people Akashi had known in his life, but right now he felt slightly irritated that Kagami wasn’t saying what’s on his mind.

“Kuroko told you, didn’t he?” It wasn’t necessary a question, but the sudden tenseness in Kagami’s form was answer enough.

Kagami’s eyes widened, genuinely surprised, Akashi thought it was almost endearing how Kagami thought he succeeded at hiding the fact. Finally, Kagami sighed and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and nodded. Akashi fought the urge to sigh. It was only expected of Kuroko to finally tell Kagami about the curse at some point, their lack of sleep and focus this morning and Kagami’s attitude made it quite clear he was finally filled in on the manner.

“I don’t mind you knowing, Kagami-san,” A pause. “But, I would appreciate it to voice your opinion freely when around me,”

And it was the truth. Akashi wasn’t used to Kagami being weary around him (perhaps a tad bit weary around his brother) He valued Kagami’s bluntness, Kagami always told what he truly thought with no restrain.

“No…It’s just, Is it really true?” Akashi was about to answer him when Kagami continued. “No wait! You and Kuroko won’t lie about something like this! It’s just…so messed up! Are you guys going to be ok?”

Akashi couldn’t help but smile at the genuine concern in Kagami’s voice.

“We’re fine. We’ve encountered two of the misfortunes, one which you have helped overcome,” Akashi answered and watched at Kagami visibly relaxed some more at his words.

“But Kuroko did say little accidents happen, too. Are you sure it’s okay to leave that guy alone? Shouldn’t you be together?”

“It is best, yes. But both Furihata and I are alert, it shouldn’t be a problem being apart for the ride,” Akashi said, _It will give us both some time to rid of the awkward atmosphere_.

He could already sense Kagami was about to pester him for other details, ever the doting (motherly) figure, so he opted to change the subject. It wasn’t in his intentions to worry someone else with the matter.

“But, Kagami-san, it is I who must ask you that question,” Akashi allowed a small smirk to appear at Kagami’s confused expression. “It’s rare to see you without Kuroko, are you sure it’s all right to leave him alone?” Akashi continued, using Kagami’s own phrasing against him. It was somewhat of a low move, he’d admit, but seeing the blush spreading on Kagami’s face was always amusing.

“O-of course it’s okay!! We’re not always together you know!” Kagami, flustered, said and turned to face the other way, but it was clear he was blushing up to his ear.

“Oh, but I happen to think it’s the case. Ever since you were assigned to protect him last year, you’re never apart,” Akashi commented, unable to suppress the light chuckle that left his lips.

“Shut up!” He grumbled and ruffled Akashi’s hair a bit too roughly. “If I take my eyes off him for a second, he always manages to get himself in trouble!”

Akashi chuckled once more, unable to thoroughly disagree with him. “I apologize for teasing you too much,” He said in between chuckles.

Kagami grunted again, but adjusted his back against the car seat and settled the hand playing with Akashi’s hair by his side, the rosy hue still apparent on his face. He let out a breath as his eyes stared straight ahead, with a hint of reminiscing in his red orbs and soon a fond, soft smile crossed his lips.

“Has it already been a year?”

A soft smile of Akashi’s own played on his lips. “Yes, I believe it has,”  
  
Akashi recalled the memories from when Kagami had first arrived to their household, a fierce looking bodyguard who was assigned to protect the heir to the Kuroko-Akashi family’s tea house. A series of events followed his arrival, and with time Akashi came to notice Kagami was nearly as stubborn as Kuroko, but even more caring by nature, quite contradicting to his intimidating and overwhelming aura.

It was maybe because of this, that he managed to seize a place in their lives and one in Kuroko’s heart.

“It’s already over, Kagami-san. You don’t need to worry about that matter anymore and focus on your new job as head of the security team,” Akashi reassured, but Kagami only sighed.

“I just can’t help it sometimes, I don’t want him to get hurt again,” He said, eyes darkening for a brief moment.

“If my memory’s served me right, you’re the one who got shot last time, Kagami-san,”

Kagami blinked at him a few times, then to his surprise, Kagami through his head back laughing,  
It made Akashi feel he was missing something . Kagami shook his head slightly after his laugh had died down, his hand brushing his fingers above the clothed wound on his chest, absentmindedly.

“I don’t mind if I’m the one getting hurt out of the two of us,” He said with a smile.

_“If one of us is bound to get hurt, I’d always rather it was me,”_

Kagami’s face was peaceful and held no signs of regret. What he said reminded Akashi of something his brother told Furihata a long time ago.

His stomach sank as the thought that the “relationship” between his brother and Furihata matched the one between Kagami and Kuroko, crossed his mind.

His wandering thoughts came to a halt as the car stopped, having reached their destination. They got off the car to find Kuroko and Furihata waiting for them, the two seemed to be getting along well. Not that Akashi hadn’t expected this as they shared many similar interests.

Kagami and Kuroko disappeared inside the building to prepare for the show, while Akashi and Furihata walked together to the outdoor venue where the ceremony would be held. A wooden shelter was built along with the stage where Kuroko would perform. Some of the guests were already sitting on the tatami mats placed before the stage.

Akashi and Furihata took their place at the back of the crowd, as to not inconvenience the invited guests to the ceremony. Furihata’s excitement from that morning only seemed to double, as he turned around to take everything in. From the greenery surrounding them to the stripped pattern on the mats. Furihata’s enthusiasm was rather contagious, and Akashi found himself anticipating the event even more now.

Abruptly, the chatter amongst the crowd stopped. Akashi’s eyes trailed to the stage and immediately he understood the reason for their silence. Kuroko was walking on the stage, clad in a black Kimono, a contrast to his pale skin, which made him stand out, unlike his usual lack of presence.

The crowd was entranced by Kuroko’s elegant movements, trained hands moving with precision. He finished mixing the green tea powder with hot water in the cup to prepare the thick tea and had one the Maiko to pass it for the first guest to taste.

“Wow,” Furihata let out, almost breathlessly, his eyes still fixed on Kuroko. “He’s amazing!”

“Yes,” Akashi agreed and you couldn’t miss the proud smile on his face.

“Akashi, can you do this too? The ceremony I mean,”

Akashi placed a thoughtful finger on his lips. His grandmother owned a number of tea houses, making tea was something that’s been drilled into their brains ever since childhood, so he could say he was able to perform a tea ceremony, but not one his grandmother would approve of.

“Yes, but the tea I make tends to be…untraditional,” He was readying himself to elaborate more, but Furihata chuckled before he could.

“You always add weird herbs or spices to the tea don’t you?” Furihata asked, teasingly, in a knowing tone. Akashi frowned a bit, but couldn’t retort as what Furihata had said was the truth.

“I happen to believe the taste of the tea green alone-“

“Is too bland,” Furihata finished the sentence for him, still giggling. It caught Akashi by surprise.

“You’ve always been this way. The tea master would always get mad at you for it,”

As soon as Furihata uttered these words, they both stilled. Furihata’s hand covered his mouth, his eyes widened and he looked genuinely shocked by his own words. Akashi wanted to say something, to ask him what he was talking about, to know how Furihata came to know these facts about him when he’d never spoken of them.

But, they were interrupted by the arrival of the cup containing the tea, passed on from the guest sitting next to Furihata. Furihata took the cup hurriedly and drank from it to avoid any conversation.

The awkward atmosphere was back.

As Akashi took a sib of the tea, he couldn’t help but think if those things Furihata spoke of, were but a past memory with his brother. Then, it would be he had meant _him_ when he talked about it while chuckling.

The rest of the ceremony was spent in silence, Kuroko was preparing a cup of thin tea for each guest individually, but even the fine taste of Kuroko’s tea couldn’t ease the tenseness that has settled between them.

Soon, the ceremony came to an end and Kuroko and Kagami disappeared again for a change of clothes, while Furihata and Akashi were forced to wait for them together, shifting uncomfortably, one more visible than the other.

The men that worked on putting the shelter up where now taking it down. Akashi was watching them closely, not out of interest but for lack of something else to do in such a situation.

Two men were taking one of the wooden beams closer to them, when the ladder beneath one of the men’s feet buckled forward under the weight, causing the man to lose his balance and fall on the ground. The other man couldn’t support the beam on his own and his hands weren’t able to hold on to it.

Akashi moved solely on instinct, almost jumping on Furihata and moving him out of the way. Furihata let out a yelp as the two of them tumbled to the ground and out of harm’s way. Or that’s what Akashi had thought.

It appeared he was a second too late for the minute he tried to stand up, a jolt of pain shot through his left shoulder, he winced at the pain as he struggled to his feet and quickly checked his wrist and sighed. The number of the petals was still the same, this accident hadn’t been one of the misfortunes, nevertheless it was caused by the curse.

The commotion around them soon died down, after making sure the worker that fell off the ladder was ok and that the both of them were all right, he saw one of the men helping Furihata up, but the brunet’s eyes were glued on him the entire time.

“Are you ok??” Furihata asked him frantically. Akashi lowered the hand holding his shoulder and smiled through the pain.

“Yes, I’m fine,” He assured. “Sorry I pushed you too hard,”

“No, it’s okay,” Furihata eyed him, skeptically. “Are you sure you’re all right? You were holding your shoulder before,” He asked once more and reached for his shoulder with his hand.

Akashi pushed his shoulder slightly back and away from Furihata’s reach. Furihata glared at him and tried to get a hold of his shoulder again, acting on his reflexes again, he held Furihata’s hand to try and stop him.

“Honestly Furihata, I-“

The familiar jolt of electricity rushed through Akashi’s body, his eyes widened and he immediately let go of Furihata’s hand. Furihata took a step back, startled by Akashi’s action.

This was what Akashi had been avoiding. Just like this morning, it seemed even the slightest touch between the two of them elicited all sorts of reactions from his body. He wasn’t the one who had feelings for Furihata, he wasn’t his brother, yet his body was reacting the same way.

Furihata looked at him apologetically, but Akashi didn’t know how to explain to him it wasn’t his fault, yet at the same time it was. All those conflicting feeling, this uncomfortable awkwardness, he just wanted it to go away.

He clutched his injured shoulder and averted his eyes form Furihata.

“I’m fine,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will be a continuation and is also in Oreshi's POV and It will be the final chapter in Kyoto before we move back to Tokyo and the other pairings in the story. I don't know when I'll be able to finish it though *sobs*  
> Poor Oreshi is confused, things will get even more complicated for him next time lol XD But a lot of things about the past shall be cleared.  
> Thank you for reading ~ If you have any questions or would like to discuss theories I'm always available on Tumblr too @shadowwinggirl


	11. Raging Fire: Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it has almost been a year XD I'm not dead and I'm so sorry for talking too long, my life decided to be too busy for me to handle. nevertheless I do hope you enjoy this chapter.  
> This one is dedicated to my lovely Friend Niri, whose birthday was a few days ago and to my lovely friend Bine for being too awesome. They were both very supportive while I was writing this!!  
>  **Reminder: ******the chapter is in Oreshi's point of view, so any "Akashi" I mention it's him.

_“Tragedy doesn’t discriminate; everyone is subjected to the whims of fate,”_

**Chapter 11**

His trembling fingers grabbed harder at his shoulder, the redness of his already bruised flesh deepening in color.

He tried his best to avoid looking into Furihata’s eyes. He knew how anxious he could get, how he was most likely blaming himself for his injury. Still, he kept facing away, choosing to ignore the fleeting pain he caught a glimpse of in Furihata’s eyes.

He wished he could say something, or explain the turmoil of emotions stirring within him, but he found himself, unnaturally, at a loss of words. He knew it wasn’t fair to Furihata; it wasn’t his fault, not intentionally at least, but how could one begin to explain something they didn’t understand themselves?

For the first time since all of this has begun, he felt lost.

His conscious retreated into his mental cocoon taking some time to calm his racing mind, before he could face the outside again. He always did this whenever he felt overwhelmed by whatever situation he faced, but the brother he always relied on to handle their mind was now asleep. Perhaps for the best, as he was the source of his current troubles.

Soon, Kagami and Kuroko had joined Furihata who had since fallen silent. They tried to talk to Akashi, but his body was nothing but an outer shell as neither personality assumed control of it. It wasn't fair to his friends for him to run away like this, and yet he didn't make a move to regain control. Not right now.

...

"What're you doing?"

The voice shouldn't have startled him, but it did. The piercing eyes narrowed in his direction did make him swallow the lump in his throat; the appearance of his brother elicited both guilt and relief.

His brother could've searched through their shared memory with ease, he needn't ask him, but he always had respect for his privacy. He always waited until he was ready to talk, and at the moment Akashi was sure he wasn't. He walked past him, deeper into the darkness and handed the control of their body to his suspecting brother.

"Would one of you just please tell me what happened?!" He heard the worried voice of Kagami, asking once again, as his fingers threaded through his dual colored locks out of frustration. Both he and Furihata had been ignoring his question.

His brother winced at the sudden jolt of pain in his shoulder as he assumed control of their body. He turned to look at Akashi, confused, this time abandoning his usual curtsey, as Akashi sensed him searching into their memory for an answer. As soon as he did, his eyes widened and their heartbeat quickened. The look his brother gave him was one of disbelief, of worry and confusion. Through it he asked a thousand questions, none of which Akashi had an answer to.

Then all the confusion left his eyes and he sighed.

"This…isn't like you," He said, before he turned his back to him, focusing on the people around them instead.

"I seem to have got hurt in the earlier commotion," His brother told Kagami, whose panic seemed to rise even more.

"WHAT? Are you all right? No, you can't be! That was stupid!"

"Please calm down, Kagami-kun. I don't believe it's serious, but it would be wise to get it checked," Kuroko said as he examined the wound.

"If it would put your minds at ease, I don't mind," His brother said.

Kagami looked around them, making sure no one was within earshot. "Was it, you know, one of the misfortune things?"

His brother shook his head. "No, I'm afraid it was but a minor accident,"

Kagami let out a long sigh at his answer.

"I don't know how you guys deal with this every day!"

He and Kuroko finished making sure the workers the rest of the setup removed safely, and then made way to the cars to tell them they were ready to leave. Half way there, Kuroko stole a glance back in their direction, before he swiftly turned to look in front of him again.

Akashi didn't have time to dwell on this as he realized his brother wasn't making any move to follow after them; neither did Furihata, leaving them alone once more.

His brother looked at Furihata, lifting his hand to caress his cheek lightly. He seemed startled at the touch, until he looked up to meet his brother's eyes. His shoulders relaxed, probably seeing the golden hue in his left eye, all tension leaving them instantly. And his brother smiled.

"You didn't get hurt, did you?"

Instead of answering, Furihata wrapped his arms around in a tight hug, while avoiding his injured shoulder. His brother hugged him back with his other uninjured one, stroking it up and down his trembling back in a comforting gesture.

Akashi's breath, on the other hand, stilled in his lungs.  He looked away.

"I'm sorry," He heard Furihata's faint voice.

"You weren't at fault. They're not something you could control,"

His brother lifted Furihata's chin, so he could look him in the eye; Furihata squirmed under his gaze, which wasn't all due to nerves, if the blush adorning his cheeks was anything to go by. His brother chuckled at the reaction and let him go, Furihata puffing his cheeks and pouting at the teasing.

"You've had quite the eventful start to your day, how about I take you somewhere that will make you feel better?" His brother suggested, a hopeful tone to his voice.

Furihata's eyes lit up with excitement, nodding his head.

With only just that, his beaming smile returned to his face, no trace of any previous discomfort he felt earlier. They were both smiling and Akashi loathed how it made him feel deep inside.

*

It was just past noon when they got back to his grandmother's house.

As Kuroko had said, the injury hadn't been serious, but it didn't mean it wasn't going to hurt for some time. He and Kagami headed for the kitchen after a change of clothes, planning on preparing lunch after Kagami had dismissed the kitchen staff. He enjoyed cooking whenever he had a rare day off, today wasn't any different.

"Where are we going? I've seen it before you know," Furihata asked, lowering his head to avoid a branch in his way.

After Kagami and Kuroko had left, his brother has led Furihata to the garden surrounding the mansion, as per his promise to take him some place he deemed would remedy Furihata's day. But, to Furihata's surprise, they walked into a secluded part of the backyard garden.  

"Patience, Kouki. You will see,"  

But Furihata was wrong. This might have been the same garden, but his brother was going down an unfamiliar trail, one Akashi couldn’t recognize. Soon they were surrounded by tall oak-brown trees as they ventured out of the garden and went deeper into the nearby forest.

The forest was ancient, or so he’s heard from his grandmother. The further they went, the more he became sure of that fact. He remembered wandering there as a child, once, but he had felt unsettled that he left without venturing deeper into the forest.  
Its huge roots spread-eagled the ground, sometimes they needed to climb and others twisted around themselves, above and through the ground. The sunlight filtering through the thick waved leaves was barely enough for them to see the trail ahead.

The forest was silent aside from the sound of their shoes, crunching dried up leaves and small twigs beneath them. Normally he'd believe that was strange, but it was winter and most small animals were either hibernating or hiding in their nests. Still, he couldn’t shake the eeriness he felt. Furihata kept asking where they were going, only for it to fall on deaf ears, his brother simply saying they should keep walking. But Akashi knew it couldn’t have been a simple hike, his brother had a destination in mind, but no matter how much he tried, he couldn’t read his mind this time.

But Akashi wasn’t worried, he knew his brother wouldn’t take them any place he deemed dangerous, but he was curious. There was something about the forest that looked…familiar. Such an unsettling feeling, the same he's felt when he was young.

“We’re here,”

His thoughts were interrupted by his brother’s announcement. Akashi looked ahead, the only thing before them, was a thick hedge of bushes.

Furihata’s eyebrows drew closer in a frown.

“You wanted to show me…these bushes?” Furihata questioned, slowly, which made his brother chuckle.

"We wouldn't have come here had it been that. What I wanted to show you lies ahead,"

His hand shuffled through the woven leaves, moving them aside. The light shining through the space was blinding, a complete contrast to the darkness they were currently in. It was almost too intimidating to walk into, but he wasn't the one in control of his body now and his brother didn't share his fears.

Wherever they were, the sun was no longer hidden by the trees and it took some time for his closed eyes to get used to it for them to open again slowly. The sound of running water reached his ears, the rustling trees and the chirping birds, it made him curious to see, to know, and once his eyes were no longer blurred, he did.

They were at a small clearing, where time seemed to have stopped, for winter didn't seem to have found this place yet. The running water and the beautiful lake weren't frozen like the others around the house, and the warmth seeping through his light jacket, made him want to take it off. It was a relaxing, small paradise. Almost seemed like a part of a…

"…dream,"

His attention shifted to Furihata. He seemed strange, walking with unsteady steps, almost aimlessly. He frantically glanced around him, as if he was faced with something that was hard to believe. He stopped by a big rock at the lake's side. Furihata ran his hands over its mold-covered surface. His brother slowly walked to where he was and upon further inspection, Akashi could see his trembling hands.

"The dream," He heard Furihata say. "This is…this is the clearing from the dream!" His voiced was higher, almost shouting.

His knees gave away, and he fell to the ground.

His brother placed a hand on his shoulder. "Kouki…" he said, softly, but the hopeful tone in his voice couldn't be missed.

Furihata stood up, abruptly, and walked towards a nearby tree, seemingly ignoring his brother. But then he stopped, as sudden as he started walking and looked in his direction. His eyes seemed distant, a bit lost, but they sparkled with something he couldn't understand.

"This is where it happened, isn't it? This is where we first met," He asked with a trembling voice.

Only then did Akashi connect all the dots, only then he understood why his brother chose to bring Furihata here, why it all seemed so eerily familiar. He'd seen this place many times before, repeatedly relived their long gone past, unwillingly, through his dreams. It was where his other self had met the guardian of fortune for the first time, in another life.

"Yes, Kouki. Yes, it is."

*

The dreams still remained so vividly itched deep into his memory.

Even now, looking around the clearing, he could almost see visions of those dreams coming to life before his eyes. The memories this clearing held were all so pleasant, that it was calming to be here. Calming, but strange, like it was somewhere he didn't belong.

And it was true.

Those who did were his brother and Furihata.

Furihata's eyes never stopped wandering around him. Each time he'd find something that attached itself to one of his memories he would excitedly relay the memory to his brother. Akashi didn't believe he'd seen his other self so…happy before. He would smile or chuckle in response to Furihata's ranting and he had even took part in a water splashing fight Furihata had started in remembrance of one they had when they were young. It was like he was seeing a new side he'd never known was there before. It was different, but not at all unwelcomed.

After the water fight had drained their energy, they laid down on the grass and gazed at the sky. Their hands naturally found each other, fingers intertwining and eyes staring deep into one another. It was Furihata that broke their trance and gazed back at the clouds above.

"I don't understand. How did this place stay like this?" He asked. It was something Akashi was beginning to wonder himself.

"When the Akashi family took hold of this land, they made sure that the area surrounding the sacred temple remained untouched, but they've built the main house down where the school was supposed to be,"

"They took hold of it?" Furihata sat up, "What happened to my family?"

The atmosphere grew heavy.

 Akashi could tell how uncomfortable the question made his brother be, but his hold on Furihata's hand never wavered; instead he tightened his grip as he, too, sat up straighter. His lips were pulled down in a frown and his eyebrows were knitted together. It appeared whatever that had happened then wasn't so easy to place into words.

"They entrusted the land to the Akashi family…after they no longer had an heir to pass it on to,"

Furihata's body stilled, and he could only utter the word "oh," as realization downed on him.

That's right, they didn't make it that life.  

He moved closer to where his brother was and leaned on his shoulder, in a silent comforting gesture, perhaps noticing he's made him remember something he'd rather not. Akashi thinks that perhaps this was the purpose of them coming to the clearing in the first place, to regain nothing but the beautiful memories this place held. Akashi knew of each and every one.

His brother leaned back and kissed Furihata's messy tresses. It was then that Akashi became painfully aware of their close proximity, of the softness of Furihata's hair and the warmth radiating from his body.

He needed to stop.

Nothing good was going to come of this. He shouldn't intrude on them anymore than he already did. It was for his own sake, mostly. It was getting harder to ignore the growing pain in his chest.

He took one last glance their way, but before he was to go into deep slumber, a voice stopped him dead in his place.

It wasn't his brother this time. It was a voice he'd only heard in a wretched dream.

_"Oh, what do we have here?"_

The dark, ominous voice snickered. It made Akashi's skin crawl.

_"Won't you come with me and play?"_

The voice was echoing inside his head. He was looking frantically around him, narrowing his eyes at the darkness of his mind, trying to find the source of the voice. It was only until he caught a glimpse of the outside world that he stopped.

His brother and Furihata were both on their feet, fists clenched and eyes scanning the sky. It appeared he wasn't the only one who'd heard it.

The sinister voice spoke again, this time, instead of being an echo, it was clearer and it seemed to be moving towards the edge of the clearing, taunting them to follow.

Akashi could feel their heart racing, the anxiety and frustration beginning to cloud his judgment. They both knew the god of misfortune was playing them, just like it did all these years ago when Akashi ended up releasing it from its prison. He knew it was most likely another trap, and yet his brother started walking towards the source of the voice, unconsciously, perhaps, driven by a strong desire for revenge.

His brother didn't bother hiding his thoughts this time. The self-blaming, resentment and regret, it was far too easy for Akashi to see. In a sense he could relate to those feelings, it made him recall the tears he's shed whenever he woke up from that dream, the many times he'd tried to stop his younger self from opening that sealed chest.

But Akashi knew it was already too late, that it took place a long time ago. He tried to reason with his brother, to get him to stop walking into so obvious a trap, but he was having none of his words, he was already blinded by rage. Akashi saw no other way but for him to regain control of their body, by force if needed.

"Akashi!"

His brother stopped as soon as he heard Furihata call him.

He could feel Furihata's light touch on their back; his brother didn't turn around to face him but Akashi could feel him calming down, even if only a little.

"Why are you following it?? Don't let it play you!" Furihata asked, frustration seeping through his words.

_"Too scared to play?"_

Both their bodies tensed up at the mocking tone.

"I'm not a child anymore; I won't follow through its mind games. But it'd be rude to ignore such an open challenge," His brother said, this time turning around to face Furihata. He slowly leaned in to plant another kiss on Furihata's forehead.

"You're the target, Kouki, not me. So wait for me here,"

Furihata wanted to object, but was quickly cut off by a finger on his lips. Akashi is sure Furihata knows how stubborn his brother could be, by now, and so Furihata nods slowly and sighs.

"Just be careful,"

His brother gave him a reassuring smile.

*

His feet stopped, abruptly, near the edge of the clearing, eyes staring hesitantly at the worn-out stairs. Akashi remembered them from his dreams, if he'd recalled correctly, they're the stairs leading to the sacred temple. The same stairs he climbed in his search for Furihata that fateful night. It seemed only fitting that they are lead to the place where everything had started.

For a second, Akashi thought his brother wouldn't go through with it, until he started moving again, stepping on each stone carefully so they won't fall. The stone steps were old and crumbly, they had to be more careful and watch their step.

The radiating sun at the clearing that was a welcoming source of warmth was now blocked once more by the trees lined up along their trail. The air instantly felt chillier against their skin and it seemed to only be getting colder the further they climbed up.

They came to a stop at the top of the stairs. It wasn't obvious when they were still going up but right now they could sense some kind of force was compelling them to move forward, almost daring them to step foot into the long abandoned sacred ground. Akashi couldn't understand what the god of misfortune wished to accomplish by bringing them here; nothing remained of the temple Akashi saw in the dream. All that was left was a bare land, void of any form of life.

His brother seemed hesitant, only for a second though, and he took a couple of steps in.

Now that there were no more trees to block its way, the sun was shining brightly.

Until, it wasn't anymore…

 In an instant, everything around them began to change. And the once blue sky put on a navy coat glistening with stars. The scene before them, swiftly, began to change. The once dry land was gradually being covered with grass, the giant trees which materialized around the edges surrounded them and the space where the temple once were, was no longer empty. The ancient building stood before them as if Akashi was back to being that young boy in the dream, mesmerized by the scenery when he first laid eyes on it.

For a moment, everything was still, apart from the rustling trees. Akashi and his brother exchanged confused glances; it was quite clear that neither of them knew what was going on.

A shrill scream sounded, so suddenly, from the other side of the building.

It snapped them out of their confusion, but before Akashi properly registered it, his brother was already running in its direction, navigating through the maze like paths. Akashi has never been seen what lied beyond the entrance in his dreams before, his brother seemed to know his way around it.

The scenery was changing again. The night was lit up with an orange hue, and more screams were filling the air, that had turned ashy grey. When they reached the inner courts of the temple, they were able to see the full picture of what they knew were definite signs of a fire.

There were many people, dressed in white robes. Most were just running around in circles, aimlessly, covering their ears, perhaps trying to drown the sound of the crackling fire or the whine of men. Others ran about to get more water from a nearby well, some men were trying to free the people trapped under the logs of wood that were falling from the ceiling and some were just screaming, standing in place, paralyzed by fear to even try and run away.

To Akashi's surprise, his brother fell under the last category. His entire body went stiff, and his teeth and hands clenched as he stared at the chaos unfolding before them. Akashi couldn't understand how he could stand so still with everything that's happening.

"Why are you still standing here? Aren't we supposed to help them?"

His brother shook his head. "No, it's already too late,"

Before Akashi could ask him what he meant, a man had run into them on his way to bring more water, perhaps run _through_ them was a better word to describe it. Akashi stood there, stunned.  

"This isn't real. It's all but a memory,"

*

Akashi should've been able to notice this sooner. After all, the smoke wasn't burning his eyes or making it hard for him to breathe, he could still feel the warmth of the sun, even from beyond the navy mask of the sky, and the fire wasn't hurting them either. Everything was an illusion. But the reason was, why?

What would the god of misfortune accomplish by leading them here and creating this past memory of their past? What was even happening here?

"I should've listened to Kouki. This wasn't the brightest of ideas," his brother said, breathlessly. The pain in his voice was easily detectable.

They've been walking around for a while now, trying to find a way out of this vision, but all they found was more death and destruction. The big temple was falling apart, the small houses where the attendants used to live were nowhere to be found now and the bodies of the people caught in the fire were piling up.

_"Kouki?!! Kouki where are you?!"_

The frantic voice made them stop.

They slowly turned to look behind them, and surely enough, they were faced by another version of themselves.

He looked older, or perhaps it could've been his long hair tied in a ponytail. His red robes were disheveled; as he was rushing around, stopping nearly everyone to ask them if they've seen, whom Akashi assumed, was this illusion's Furihata.

Unconsciously, his brother began walking again, but this time following the illusion of himself. He was almost in a daze, walking silently. Even the times when they've lost him, his brother was easily able to relocate him, like he knew where he was going next. Then again, he most likely did.

The fire around them only continued to grow bigger, feeding on the surrounding trees when there were no more buildings in its way to demolish. Akashi wondered if the people he saw earlier had managed to escape, if the injured have been treated. He knew it was pointless, this was all a memory, everything had already happened. There was no point in wondering.

Still, something nagged at him, something that didn't feel right.

The imaginary Akashi, they were following, fell to his knees so abruptly, hand clutching to the side of his head. His brother stopped, his hand touched his head, mimicking what the other was doing. Akashi wasn't sure if it was conscious or not. His brother's hand was clean when he removed it from his head, unlike the other's hand.

It was covered in blood.

The illusion's hand started trembling. _"No, no, no! Kouki!!"_ he screamed and took off in another mindless search.

His brother followed, more weakly this time. His feet felt heavy, like they refused to go where he was leading them to. But Akashi knew, he was following the illusion almost unconsciously, his grip on their body was lessening, he could barely feel his brother's conscious in his mind, as if he was about to drift into deep slumber.

It wasn't his brother walking, not precisely. In his weakened mental state, the force the god of misfortune had bestowed upon this place managed to take a shred of control and was compelling him to follow. It was hard to fight it, not when his brother was in this state.

Furihata was right. This couldn't be good.

Despite the blood dripping from the illusion's injuries, he kept searching, his steps more frantic, and his voice more desperate. In his eyes, Akashi saw fear he had never thought would ever seep through his steel barriers, the emotions on his face were raw and exposed, for the entire world to see.

_"Akashi-kun! Akashi-kun, help, please!"_

A feminine voice called after him, another illusion. This time, Akashi recognized the voice as the lady of the temple, Furihata's mother.

The illusion of Akashi quickened his step and disappeared from their sight behind the corner of a burning building. Akashi's brother was still trailing slowly behind him, perhaps even more so than before. His brother was trying to fight the force moving them now, harder. He was muttering words Akashi couldn't hear very well, all he caught were the words "No," and "Not again,"

Tears started trailing down their face, their chest tightened. When they finally rounded the corner and saw the illusion hunched down on the ground besides the body of a young man, his brother completely broke down.

 _"Kouki! Kouki speak to me, please!"_ Their illusion pleaded, tears slowly streaming down his face.

Furihata pushed himself to look up, to meet their illusion's eyes, but his looked almost lifeless. His face, too, was drained of color; it was the palest Akashi had ever seen him. He smiled sadly, almost regrettably as he used the last bit of his strength to lift his hand to touch Akashi's forehead, near the wound were blood continued to come out.

_"I-I'm sorry, I still…couldn't…protect y-you,"_

Then his hand fell, at Akashi's side and his breath slowed down, till it completely stopped.

Akashi looked away, he had seen this coming.

He didn't want to believe it at first; for once he wished his deductions would be wrong. But he should have guessed sooner, that any memory the god of misfortune chose to show them couldn't be good. But for him to show them the exact moment of Furihata's death in the past…it was just too cruel.

A loud shriek of pain left escaped the lips of their illusion, holding the limp body of Furihata in his arms. Akashi wanted to scream with him too, had he been in control, he would've. It might have made it easier to breathe, somehow, easier to feel anything else but the empty feeling of loss, for now his chest felt too tight and the pain in his heart was too much for him to handle.

He didn't know if the pain was his brother's or his own, perhaps it was a mixture of the two.

Akashi knew he shouldn't look, he didn't want to see, but Furihata's body was all that his brother was focused on. Through his blurry vision, his eyes darted between each burn on his delicate skin, between every gash and scratch. Only the injury to his head transferred to Akashi, but Furihata's body weakened rapidly before any of the others could.

 _"Who did this?! He wasn't supposed to be alone!"_ Their illusion shouted, more tears pouring down his face.

Furihata's mother placed a hand on his shoulder, and gripped on tight. She was trying to appear strong, even though she, too, was in tears.

 _"It was no one's fault. I tried to get him to leave to safety, but he wouldn't have it, not until the last one trapped inside the building was free. I…I really tried, that stubborn child,"_ She chocked on her tears and fell by their illusion's side, leaning on his shoulder and breaking down in muffled sobs.

…

"I didn't want to see this…not again," Akashi heard his brother say. His voice was too weak, and he wasn't truly talking to Akashi in particular.

It almost slipped Akashi's mind, the fact that the illusion he was seeing was truly his brother's past self, that to Akashi it might have been an illusion of a memory, but to his brother it was once a reality. He couldn't imagine being truly there, in that exact moment, looking at the lifeless face of Furihata.

If he was to, now,  go through the same thing in this current life….

"Akashi!"

Upon hearing the voice, his eyes instantly looked at Furihata's body again. It couldn't be, but he could swear he'd heard Furihata's voice calling their name.

"Akashi! Where are you?"

He heard his voice again, but the illusion still laid on the ground among the flames…Then it suddenly downed on Akashi! This wasn't an illusion anymore. It was the real thing!

His brother was completely overcome with his feelings and wasn't responding to Akashi at all. If Furihata was to see this memory, then the same thing might happen to him, it could be the true intention of the god of misfortune.

He could hear Furihata's footsteps running in their direction, he had to act fast! He assumed control of their body, his brother putting up no fight at all, and quickly turned around to face Furihata.

"Furihata, no! Go back!" He found himself shouting.

But it was too late…Furihata stood there, stunned, staring at the scene before him.

Fruihata clutched the sides of his head, his eyes widening in disbelief. His body was quivering as he started to take a few steps back.

"No, I…it can't be!"

"Furihata!" Akashi called as he tried to stand back up, but it felt as if something heavy was weighing him down.

Furihata started shaking his head, tears streaming down his face. Akashi knew how he must have been feeling, it couldn't be easy to see this, especially when he hadn't fully regained his memories yet, but he had to do something to snap him out of his state, before the god of misfortune could take advantage of his weakened mind.

"Furihata you need to listen to me! Don't look!"

It was futile. He wasn't listening to him at all, his feet still staggering backwards.

Akashi began scanning the area for anything that could possibly cause a misfortune to happen, if Furihata had been lured into the trap, then the original goal must be for him to get hurt. But everything here was just an illusion, it couldn't harm him. Or so he thought, until he noticed the direction in which he was heading.

He was walking dangerously near the edge of the cliff the temple was built on.

Akashi tried getting up again, his legs felt like they were made of lead and he could barely move. He huffed a breath and his arms buckled beneath him, struggling to hold his weight, but he kept pushing himself with everything he had.

He just…couldn't, he couldn't let what had happened in the past repeat itself again. He had promised himself he was going to make it through this, together with Furihata.

He took another deep breath in, and pushed himself up and off of the ground; he kept drawing in short breaths until he was finally able to lift himself from the ground. The instant he stood up straight, the heavy weight he's previously felt, vanished.  
But he had no time to feel relieved; he quickly turned around and sprinted to where Furihata was and grabbed him when he was standing just over the edge, but the impact was enough to send them both tumbling downwards.

*

Akashi acted on instinct, and quickly wrapped his arms around Furihata, pulling him close to his body, leaving Akashi's back to take most of the damage.

Thankfully, the slope of the cliff wasn't too steep, but Akashi still grazed every branch and rock along the way, he gritted his teeth and tightened his hold on Furihata. By the time they've stopped sliding, Akashi was drained of energy. He was gasping for air and he could feel the dull pain of the bruises on his back.

When his breathing was back to normal, he let out a long sigh and looked at the young man in his arms. Furihata was still cradling his head, his body still trembling; he didn't seem to notice where he even was. The effects of the god of misfortune must still be haunting him even now; he had to wake him up!

"Furihata! Furihata, look at me!"

Akashi called, shaking his shoulder, gently. But he wasn't responding, like he didn't see Akashi at all. Akashi's heart raced with panic, but he quickly calmed his nerves down, he needed a clear mind to resolve this and he shouldn't let fear get to him. Sadly, he couldn't rely on his brother for any form of advice.

Akashi stopped, eyes widening with realization.

His brother…

He wasn't positive it would work, but it was worth the try.

" _Kouki_!" He called Furihata by his first name instead. It sounded foreign on his tongue.

Furihata finally stopped shaking. It was working.

"Kouki?" Akashi tilted his head to the side, awaiting a response from Furihata.

Furihata lowered his hands and finally looked up at him, and as soon as their eyes met, tears started streaming down his face once more and he flung his arms around Akashi's neck, leaving him shocked, instantly tensing up.

"Akashi! I-I'm sorry, it was my fault, it always is," He said between sniffs.

Akashi hugged him back, placing a hand to the back of his head, cradling it close to his chest. He stroked the messy strands of his hair, in a comforting and gentle manner.

"I wasn't your fault, it never was and never will be," Akashi said, recalling what Furihata's mother had said when they were still trapped inside the illusion.

It was mostly Akashi's fault, and the god of misfortune's.

The heat radiating from Furihata's body was too warm, but it only made his heart ache, for Akashi was sure that the hug wasn't meant for him…but deep down he had wanted it to.

It wasn't the first time he'd saved Furihata from a misfortune, but it was the first time he had done it out of actual fear for Furihata's well-being. Seeing the image of his past self dying, made him realize he didn't want the same thing to happen to this Furihata, to _his_ Furihata. His grip tightened on him. Akashi knew he couldn't afford to think of Furihata as anything more than just a friend. He wasn't the Akashi Furihata was calling for.

He sighed as he watched another petal fall from the sakura flower tattooed on his hand.

This needed to stop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for all the pain in this chapter XD  
> Next time we are back to Tokyo though~ and the gom will be back in the game. I will try to update as fast as I can.  
> Thank you for reading and happy Furiaka day (^O^)/


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